Your Hand in Mine
by TheOneTwoPoint
Summary: AU: "You never know, I could be your future husband. If I believed in that kind of thing." Musician Haley James and NBA player Nathan Scott meet and there's an immediate spark. Can Haley get past a painful past and let Nathan in?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** This all belongs the Mark Schwahn and the other people who own One Tree Hill. I'm just borrowing the characters.

**Note:** The prologue is really long. It's probably double the size of what the regular chapters will be. I just wanted to establish where Haley is when she and Nathan meet. Right now it's rated a very strong T because of a very adult situation that happens right here in the prologue. It could be bumped to an M later on.

Haley James stood by a lamppost, leaning on it with her bag slung over her shoulder. She looked out in front of her. This part of the campus was deserted; most people were at Maples Pavilion. The Stanford Cardinals were playing the Duke Blue Devils. At least, Haley thought they were. Sports held little appeal for her, so she wasn't sure when the game ended. Haley began humming the finale from Les Miserables as she waited. Her friend Crissy from her advanced algebra class was supposed to bring her the notes she had let her borrow. Haley wouldn't have bothered waiting, but she had a test coming up and really wanted to look over the notes again. She checked her watched. December in California wasn't that cold, but there was still a chill in the air and Haley began rocking back and forth on the heels of her feet, trying to stay warm.

"I'm sure I could help warm you up," a voice called to her. He was a few feet away and made his way toward her.

She looked at him. She wasn't the type to check out guys, but she couldn't help it. Besides, he was the one to use a cheesy pickup line on her. It was only fair that she be allowed to see who it was that was offering. He was definitely tall. He had dark hair and strong features. His blue eyes held a spark of mischief. He was definitely hot. But, Haley wasn't looking for a relationship right now.

"No thanks," she responded, smiling at him, humoring him.

"Are you sure? My name is Nathan." He walked right up to her, standing less than a foot away. "If you're not doing anything, I could buy you dinner. You never know, this could be the beginning of something real good."

"You're persistent, I'll give you that."

"Does that get me dinner? You still haven't told me your name."

Nathan was about to continue when a girl ran up to Haley, apologizing profusely.

"I'm so, so sorry!" She was out of breath and reached into her bag, pulling out a handful of papers. "You're a lifesaver, James. These helped a lot. And I'm sorry for making you wait, I got caught up and I even missed them game-"

"Standford lost," Nathan answered. He turned his attention back to Haley. "And, now I know your name is James. A little weird for a girl, but I'll overlook it. So, about dinner…"

"I'm not interested," Haley told him politely.

"Why not?" Nathan honestly didn't know why she would say no. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No."

"Are you a lesbian?"

Haley let out a laugh, "No. Just not interested. But thanks for asking."

"Okay, one last try before I start looking pathetic. You never know, I could be your future husband. If I believed in that kind of thing."

"See, there you go. I am into that kind of thing. But have a good night." Haley turned back to Crissy as Nathan shrugged his shoulders and walked away. "It's no problem, Crissy. Don't worry about it."

"Okay, but onto more important things. Do you know who that guy was?" Crissy looked impressed and looked off into the direction of where Nathan had walked.

"He said his name was Nathan." Haley shrugged, not knowing what the big deal was.

"Nathan Scott. He's Duke's star player. He has NBA scouts after him and he's only a junior. He's going to go pro someday. He could go now, if he wanted. He's gonna be famous." Crissy shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you turned him down."

"I'm not going to go out with some strange guy just because he can put a ball through a basket and might be famous someday."

"How about because he's hot? Because that boy is fine. That's a great reason to go out with him."

Haley laughed, "Well, you know me."

"Yeah, I do. I'll see you in class, Haley."

Haley brought her bag up further on her shoulder and wrapped her arms around herself as she made her way through campus back to her dorm. She was looking forward to getting into her flannel pajamas and getting under her covers with a good book. She quickened her pace and decided to take a shortcut. It was a small alleyway between two buildings. There was only a small light illuminating her path.

"You want some company? You should be walking out late by yourself."

Haley turned around, half expecting to see Nathan there again but knew it really didn't sound like him. Looking at the person standing before her, he didn't have that friendly look that Nathan had.

"Um, no thanks, I'm fine," she replied softly before turning around and walking, this time even faster than before. He broke into a sprint and caught up to her, though.

"Really, you never know who could be out here," his voice was lower this time. He sounded like he didn't want to be heard.

"I'm really fine, you don't have to go out of your way," her voice shook slightly. She was just getting a bad vibe off of this guy. His jeans were frayed at the cuff and his hoodie had grease stains on it. His hair hung over his eyes slightly and his mouth was curved in a half smile half snarl.

"Let me be a gentleman and help you out," he reached for her wrist, but she pulled it away. He blinked several times and his hands clenched into fists. "I'm just tryin' to be helpful."

"I know. But it's okay, I can make it on my own." Haley began taking a few steps backward, her eyes never leaving his face.

Before she could register what was happening, he tackled her and slammed her body to the ground. She tried to scream, but his hand covered her mouth before anything more than a whimper could come out. She began squirming, feeling the roughness of the concrete beneath her body. Her legs began kicking and he used the weight of his torso to keep her in place. The hand that wasn't covering her mouth was pinning her arm down. She could smell the alcohol on his breath. It made her want to vomit.

"I was trying to do this right. This is your fault, I wanted to help you home and then you'd invite me inside and we could get to know each other. But you made this hard. You did this," he seethed.

Haley's eyes grew wide as she heard him blaming her for attacking her. She did the first thing she could think of and bit down on his hand. She could taste the dirt caked into his palm and wanted to spit but had to try and get free.

"YOU BITCH!" He brought the hand that had been covering her mouth, curled it into a fist and began hitting her.

Haley felt his fist make contact with her face. He hit her several times, trying to subdue her, trying to punish her for fighting back. "No," she managed to say. "No." Haley knew what was coming as the hand that wasn't holding her arm made its way down her stomach, getting lower and lower. She felt tears coming to her eyes and tried holding them back. She didn't know if she'd succeeded. She knew what was happening and she knew that she couldn't stop it. She was weak from the beating, she managed to squirm some but not enough to get him off of her. She let her mind wander, anything to keep away the reality of what was happening to her.

Haley was vaguely aware of him getting off of her and leaving. Before walking away, he brought his hand to her face, caressing her cheek. Haley shuddered, but tried her best not to move. She just wanted him to leave. She wanted this to be over. She stayed there, not moving except for her own breathing. And she was breathing. She could feel her heart dully beating in her chest. Her mind was focused on one thing. Getting out of there. She knew that she couldn't do that until she was sure he was gone.

Eventually, she tried to get up. She made it onto her hands and knees, crawling out of the alley, her hands scraping on the ground. Occasionally she stumbled. She made it back to that same lamppost she'd been standing at earlier before collapsing onto her back, gasping for air. She realized that she could barely open her left eye but could still make out the faint outline of Christmas decorations and twinkling lights on top of the post before blacking out.

* * *

"P. SAWYER, WHERE ARE MY FUSCIA PUMPS?" Brooke Davis was frantically searching for her shoes. She had other shoes of a similar color but she had her heart set on these. They were the perfect accent to her gun metal gray dress.

"I'll be up to help you look in a minute, Brooke!" Peyton made her way to the living room of the house she shared with Brooke in San Francisco, California.

The two made the decision to move from Charlotte, North Carolina when their best friend Haley James was accepted to Stanford University. San Francisco was less than an hour away. The three friends hadn't been separated since they met on the playground at four years-old. After high school, they realized that Peyton could study art in San Francisco and that Brooke could work on her fashion designs. With some help from Brooke's trust fund, they purchased a small condo. Haley spent as much time there as she could. If she wasn't at the dorms, she was at Peyton and Brooke's.

There bond was an unlikely one. But, as unlikely as it was, it was also unbreakable. Peyton was the artistic, moody one. Brooke was the cheerful, fashionable one. Haley was the intelligent one. That would be someone's opinion if they only looked at the surface. The three girls, who were more like sisters, knew that there was so much more to each other. Peyton may have been prone to moodiness, but she was also one of the most generous people you'd ever meet. You wouldn't want to get on Brooke's bad side, but if she cared for you then she cared about you with the ferocity of a mother lion. And Haley, well, she wasn't just intelligent but also saw the good in everyone and in every situation. The three bounced off of each other beautifully.

As children, Brooke's parents had left her in the care of their housekeeper. Peyton's mother died shortly after the girls met and, while her father Larry tried his best with his young daughter, she got her greatest comfort from her friends. Unlike Brooke and Peyton, Haley came from a large family. She was the youngest of seven – three boys and four girls. The James family took Brooke and Peyton in like they were children numbers eight and nine. They spent holidays and birthdays together. Haley's older brothers looked out for Peyton and Brooke the way they looked out for Haley.

Haley was grateful when Brooke and Peyton decided to come to California with her. They may have been nearly an hour away, but it was better than the alternative of 3,000 miles.

"Peyton, I can't find them!" Brooke's voice was filled with frustration and Peyton could only imagine the look on her face as she searched for her beloved shoes. Peyton had her foot on the first step of the stairs leading toward the bedrooms when she heard her phone ring.

"Hold on, Brooke!" Peyton shook her head, reaching for her phone. "You'd think she'd learn to clean her room," Peyton muttered, looking at the caller ID display and not recognizing the number. "Hello?"

"Peyton Sawyer?"

"This is her, can I help you?"

"My name is Officer Millard with the Palo Alto Police Department. Do you know a Haley James?"

Peyton's heart began beating wildly in her chest. Why would a police officer being calling about Haley? "Yes. Is everything okay?"

"You and a Brooke Davis are listed as her emergency contacts. I'm afraid she's in Stanford Hospital's emergency room. There's been an accident."

Peyton felt her mouth go dry and she reached for the railing of the stairs for balance.

"Peyton!" Brooke's shouting was now frantic and it snapped Peyton from her reverie.

"What kind of accident, Officer?"

"Ms. Sawyer, I think you should come down to the hospital. Can you make it here?"

"Yes. Yeah, we'll be right there. Emergency?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry I can't give you more details on the phone."

Peyton shut her phone without answering him. She sprinted up the stairs, taking two at a time and barreling into Brooke's room. She picked up the first pair of shoes she saw. They happened to be fuscia pumps.

"P. Sawyer, you are a lifesaver! Thank you so much!" Brooke hurriedly slipped the shoes on her feet and grabbed her clutch but stopped when she noticed the grave expression on Peyton's face. "Peyton, I heard your cell phone ring. Who called, Peyton?" Brooke's voice was suddenly calm but had an edge of worry to it.

Peyton cleared her throat and nodded her head, "It was the police. They said something happened to Haley and she's in the emergency room at Stanford Hospital. We-"

"We have to go now," Brooke finished Peyton's sentence for her. She yanked Peyton's arm and grabbed the car keys from the table next to their front door, tossing them to Peyton so she could drive. They got into the Comet and headed toward Stanford.

After twenty minutes of driving in complete silence, both of them thinking of a million scenarios, Brooke spoke. "They didn't say what happened, did they? You would have told me if they did."

"No. He wouldn't say." Peyton tried keeping her voice calm. She'd been trying to keep calm since she got the phone call.

"Peyton, I'm scared," Brooke admitted, her voice barely audible.

"Me too."

What should have taken them forty-five minutes took them just over thirty by the time Peyton steered them into the parking lot at Stanford Hospital. They both dashed from the car and through the sliding glass doors of the E.R. Brooke made it to the front desk first and slammed her palm on the counter.

"Haley James."

"Excuse me?" The nurse behind the desk looked incredulously at the two women in front of her. They made quite the picture, one in a satin gray cocktail dress and the other in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"We're looking for Haley James. The police called and said she was here," Peyton said, more calmly than Brooke had.

"That's what I said!" Brooke's agitation was evident now that they were in the hospital.

"Are you family?" The nurse knew exactly which patient they were looking for. The whole E.R. staff knew who she was.

"Yes," both Peyton and Brooke answered.

"You'll need to speak with the officer first," the nurse informed them. She waved her hand at the officer standing in the hallway and he approached them.

Down the hall, Haley began to wake up. She opened her eyes, or rather her eye. She was still having trouble with her left eye. The brightness of the room was offensive to her eyes, causing her already painful head to ache further. She looked around, taking in her surroundings. She could smell something sterile. She quickly realized she was in a hospital. Her observations were interrupted when she heard a familiar voice from somewhere nearby.

"I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO THE POLICE; I WANT TO SEE MY FRIEND. YOU CALL US AND TELL US SHE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND NOW YOU WON'T LET US SEE HER?!"

Brooke. Haley knew that voice anywhere. Brooke may have sounded angry, but Haley found that comforting. Haley brought her hand to her head, trying to remember what had happened that night. She looked down at her arms and noticed bruises. As soon as she saw them, her memory flashed to how they got there. She remembered. She remembered him. She could feel him. Haley jolted up in the bed and leaned over the side, dry heaving because there was nothing in her stomach to throw up. She must have dropped something because she heard a clatter on the ground.

A nurse came running into the room to check on her when she heard the noise.

From down in the hall Brooke and Peyton heard a commotion from one of the rooms. They heard one of the nurses say the name Haley James and without waiting for anyone's permission, they went in the direction of the chaos. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Haley. Half of her face was covered in bruises, her left eye swollen shut, and her lip cracked open.

They recovered from their initial reaction and ran to her. She'd stopped heaving and was now grasping onto the railings of the bed for dear life as the tears flowed freely. Peyton and Brooke climbed into bed with Haley, taking her into their arms. Haley let go of the bed and grabbed onto her two friends. She knew that with what had happened tonight that she could count on them. She could hold onto them and they would be there for her.

"It's okay. You'll be okay, Haley," they both held her and tried to find words to comfort her. "We're here, Hales. We're not going anywhere."

"He raped me." Haley sounded like it physically hurt to say it. And it did. Saying it made it feel like someone was punching her all over again. Her sobs quieted down but the tears kept falling as she clutched even tighter to her friends.

Hearing Haley's words, Brooke and Peyton looked at each other. They were not only shocked but horrified and they tightened their grip on Haley.

The three girls hadn't noticed that a nurse, a doctor, and a police officer had come into the room. They'd been too busy comforting Haley. Eventually, though, the doctor cleared her throat.

The doctor looked to be in her late twenties. If it wasn't for the blue scrubs and white lab coat, they would have mistaken her for a nurse. "Ms. James, I'm Dr. Adler. I treated you when you were first brought in. We did a cursory examination and treated your cuts. You were somewhat coherent, going in and out of consciousness. From what was seen when you were found and from what we could tell, it did appear that you were raped. I just heard you tell your friends here, so that confirms it. What will happen now is that with your permission, we'll do a rape kit. We'll collect any evidence that may have been left behind. Like I said, that's your choice. I know it's a lot to take in right now. You don't seem to have any lasting physical injuries so we can probably release you by the morning. Do you have somewhere to go?"

"Yes," Brooke and Peyton answered quickly.

"She's coming home with us," Brooke answered.

"I don't want to be any trouble, guys," Haley protested.

"You've got to be kidding me, Foxy. You're coming home with us," Peyton answered with finality.

"Ms. James, I'm Officer Millard. I'll need to take a statement from you soon."

"You're the one who called the me," Peyton realized.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Haley, I'll understand if you want to take a few minutes but if you decide to go ahead with the rape kit, we need to do it as soon as possible to preserve any evidence and catch whoever did this," Dr. Adler told her.

Haley nodded her head, her mouth a thin line. "Okay."

"Haley, are you sure you don't want to take a few minutes?" Brooke soothed Haley's hair, her other hand holding Haley's.

"No. No, I want to get this over with."

"Okay, Haley. We'll get started. It'll just be me and the nurse here. This is Brandy. She's been helping with you since you were brought in. Officer Millard will be stepping out, as will your friends."

Haley looked a bit panicked, looking from Peyton to Brooke and back again. "I, I'd like them to stay. If I can."

"We're staying," Brooke announced.

"Okay, if that's what makes you comfortable, Haley," Dr. Adler smiled sympathetically.

Officer Millard left the room and Dr. Adler and Brandy began preparing the things they'd need.

"I'm going to have to ask your friends to get off of the bed while we do this," Dr. Adler requested.

"Peyton Sawyer," Peyton introduced herself. "And this is Brooke Davis."

"Ms. Sawyer, Ms. Davis," Dr. Adler nodded as she continued working.

Brooke and Peyton got off of Haley's bed, each standing on one side and not letting go of Haley's hands.

Haley looked down, biting onto her lip, not remembering that it had been split open. She immediately stopped. She quietly spoke, "I, um. I don't think… I don't remember him using a condom."

Peyton put her hand on Haley's back and Brooke placed hers on the back of Haley's head. They felt helpless, not knowing what they could do to help their friend.

Dr. Adler nodded her head and stood next to Haley's bed. "Okay. We'll look into that and we'll take the necessary precautions. This will be uncomfortable, but I'll try and make it go as quickly as I can, Haley."

Haley's palms were moist but she tightened her grip on Brooke and Peyton. Dr. Adler began doing her job and Haley tried to keep her mind off of what was going on. "I don't know what to tell me parents."

"Don't worry about it, Tutor Girl. Just worry about you right now, okay?"

"Brooke's right, Haley. You don't have to worry about anything right now but you," Peyton added.

"You guys didn't call them, did you?"

Brooke and Peyton could feel Haley occasionally squeezing their hands. Peyton looked at Brooke and then back to Haley. "I think we were so worried about getting to you that we didn't think about calling anyone else. But we can, if you want us to."

"I don't know," Haley flinched at something Dr. Adler did. She tried focusing on Brooke and Peyton. "I should probably let them know," Haley choked on her words, trying to keep the tears from coming again. "I don't want them to see me like this. I'm sure I look terrible."

"We'll call them when we're done with this, Hales," Brooke offered.

"Thank you. Both of you. Thank you for being here," Haley moved her hands and wrapped her arms around theirs, trying her best to hug them.

"We wouldn't be anywhere else, Haley," Brooke told her.

An hour later, the exam had finished and Haley had told Officer Millard everything she could remember. Dr. Adler was processing Haley's tests. The results wouldn't be in for two days but she put a rush on them. She had given Haley a sedative, knowing that the girl needed some sleep. Haley was under observation for a few more hours before they'd let her go home.

Once Haley had fallen asleep, Officer Millard asked to speak with Brooke and Peyton.

"I wanted to give you this," he said, holding out Haley's messenger bag. Brooke took it, clutching closely to her body.

"What happened?" Now that they weren't in the room with Haley, Brooke allowed a few tears to spill from her eyes.

Officer Millard frowned and put his hands on his hips. "A security guard found her on campus. He couldn't tell what had happened; he just saw that she'd been beaten. He called it in. I was the first officer on scene." The burly man looked down at his shoes and cleared his throat before continuing. "It was pretty obvious what he'd done to her. Another officer canvassing the area found her bag with her wallet and ID. That's how we knew to call you."

Peyton nodded and crossed her arms. "Thank you, officer. Is there anything else we need to know?"

"Well, she said she got a good look at him, so in a day or so, if she feels up to it, I think she should talk to a sketch artist. Might be helpful. Especially around campus. We wouldn't want this happening to anyone else. A Detective Calhoun will be here soon to take over. I'll talk to him and then he'll fill you in."

"Thanks," Brooke said softly. She took a seat on one of the chairs in the hallway, resting her elbows on her knees. With another nod, the officer left them and walked toward the reception desk.

"I hate this guy, Peyton. I fucking hate him and I want him dead," Brooke spewed, her tears still falling.

"I know, Brooke. I do too."

"Haley's never hurt anybody. She never would. And this…"

Peyton sat next to Brooke. As she sat, she felt the phone in her pocket. She breathed out, loudly and pulled it from her pocket. "You know what we have to do next."

"I do. I don't think I can, Peyton," Brooke confessed. "You know how emotional I get. I don't want to bail on you but this is…"

"It's fine, Brooke, it is. I had a feeling I'd be the one doing this. Why don't you go in and sit with her while I do this. I don't like her being alone. Even if she is asleep."

"Thanks, P. Sawyer. I don't know what I'd do without you," Brooke said, standing. She smoothed out her dress before picking up Haley's bag and taking it back into the room.

Brooke looked over at her slumbering friend. Haley was always someone who looked so peaceful when sleeping, but not tonight. Brooke could tell that she was frowning. Her hand held onto the hospital blanket, which was high on her chest, nearly to her neck. Haley's head was slightly to the side and even in the slightly dimmed room, Brooke could see the angry bruises on Haley's beautiful face. They were now changing color and the one that hindered Haley from opening her left eye was looking worse than it had when they'd first arrived.

Brooke yawned and looked at the clock. Two o'clock in the morning. They'd been there for two hours already, but it seemed like ten minutes. Brooke settled into the chair after moving it slightly closer to Haley. If Haley woke up, Brooke wanted her to see someone she could trust.

Peyton paced a few steps in the hallway before opening her cell phone. It was early, she knew that, but she hoped she would answer. After four rings, Peyton heard a groggy hello greeting her from the other end.

"Corinne, it's Peyton. I'm really sorry to wake you up, I know it's late."

"Peyton? Haley's… Wait a minute. Haley isn't here."

"I know, Corinne. I'm with her right now. Listen, there was an accident and Haley's gonna stay with me and Brooke for a few days."

"An accident? What happened? Is she okay?"

Peyton honestly didn't know if Haley was okay. She didn't know what to tell Haley's roommate so she just avoided the question. "She's going to stay with us for a bit. I was wondering if I could stop by and get some of her stuff for her. Just a few days of clothes and stuff. Like I said, I know it's late but we're here at the hospital and she'll need something to wear when they release her."

"Stanford Hospital?"

"Yeah."

"I'll pack her a bag and be there in twenty minutes."

Peyton didn't even get a chance to argue before Corinne hung up. Peyton knew Haley would want as few people seeing her like this as possible. She didn't have time to think about that, though. Peyton's call to Corinne had been a way of putting off the call she really needed to make. She walked toward the reception desk, placing both hands on it and leaning.

"You okay, sweetie?" Another nurse replaced the one who'd been sitting there earlier.

"I have to call her parents. I have to tell two of the most optimistic people in the world that their daughter, who'd never hurt anyone, was raped by some, some, some disgusting lowlife who isn't even fit to be called a man. But, compared to Haley, yeah. I'm okay."

Peyton walked back into the hall and searched for the number she needed. It barely had a chance to ring before someone picked up.

"Peyton Sawyer. What in the world are you doing calling here at two o'clock in the morning? You're lucky Jimmy and I like to wake up early. You girls aren't drunk are you? Because if you're drunk dialing, you're going to have to do a lot better than the two of us. You're three gorgeous young women. There are boys to be called."

"Hey, Mama James," Peyton began, her voice cracking slightly. It did not go unnoticed by Lydia James.

"You're not drunk, are you?"

"No. Um… God, I don't know how to tell you this," Peyton sighed and shuffled her feet, running her hand through her blonde curls.

"Peyton, is it you? Is it Brooke?" Lydia James didn't want to ask if anything was wrong with her youngest daughter. She didn't want anything to be wrong with her youngest.

Peyton had done so well holding it together so far. She'd stayed strong for Haley and for Brooke, but hearing the worry in the voice of the woman who was a surrogate mother to her after her own had died was her undoing. Peyton choked back tears and spoke, "Something happened to Haley."

* * *

As they arrived home the sun was coming up. Corinne had arrived with a bag of Haley's clothes. Mostly jeans, t-shirts, and pajamas, but she'd also packed Haley's laptop in case she wanted to do any studying. Luckily, when Corinne had arrived Haley was still fast asleep. The girl could tell from the stressed look on Peyton's face that it was best to save the questions until later. She left, asking Peyton to call if she needed anything and leaving a trio of cheerful helium balloons for Haley.

True to Officer Millard's word, Detective Calhoun arrived and when Haley woke up, he went over her statement with her. Dr. Adler told Haley that she should return in two days and they could go over the results of her test. She would have to continue coming in for testing, though, for several months before she was in the clear. Haley was discharged with a small supply of pain pills for the bruises on her face and left in the care of Peyton and Brooke.

The drive home had been silent. On their way there, Peyton had broken the speed limit in her hurry to get there. This time, though she was in a hurry to get home, she drove at an acceptable speed. Occasionally she'd glance in her rearview mirror, seeing Brooke sitting next to Haley. Haley seemed to shy away from any contact, so Brooke gave her space. Haley's gaze remained focused on the scenery passing them by. She looked, but she wasn't truly seeing anything. She had her hoodie zipped up as far as it would go and kept tugging on the sleeves, letting them cover her hands. Her arms remained closed into her body. Brooke watched, worriedly, noticing that Haley would sometimes swallow hard, like she was trying to keep from crying.

As Peyton pulled the car up to their house, Brooke went to take Haley's hand as they walked up the four steps that led to the front door, but Haley flinched at the contact. Haley gave a quiet apology before taking Brooke's offered hand.

"You can take my room," Peyton offered as they walked in. "Brooke's is, you know."

"I'm offended by that, Peyton," Brooke replied. She wasn't really offended but she desperately wanted them to be able to get some semblance of normalcy for Haley.

"I can take the sofa. I don't want to be any trouble." Haley's voice was weak and hoarse, still tinged from the sedative she'd been given, along with the tears and dry heaving she'd experienced.

Peyton turned to face Haley and apprehensively took her hands in hers. "Haley, what did you tell me all those years ago when my mom died?"

Haley looked at Peyton, confused. She'd said a lot of things back then. They were six years-old and Haley couldn't figure out which Peyton meant.

Noticing the confusion on Haley's face, Peyton patted Haley's hands and smiled. "You told me something and I don't know if you've realized it, but it's something I've thought about a lot throughout the years. It's something that's made me feel better. You told me that no matter what, the three of us would always have each other. And we do, Haley James."

"I know," Haley answered.

"Okay. You know that. I can't tell you that I know what you're going through or that I know how you feel because I can't. But I do know you and I know you don't like to bother anyone. You like to shoulder things by yourself. Stop it. Let us help you. You have me and you have Brooke and we're here for anything you need. Right now, whether you want to or not, you need to be taken care of. Let us do that for you."

"P. Sawyer is right, Tutor Girl. Let us take care of you. Let us be at your peck and call," Brooke added.

"It's beck and call, Brooke," Peyton corrected her.

"Well, that too. Whatever. We're here. Now, let's get you upstairs, get you resting in bed."

Haley began walking up the stairs, Brooke and Peyton following behind her. As she climbed up the steps, Brooke removed her fuschia pumps and pulled out the large hoop earrings she had been wearing.

"If you guys don't mind, I think I'd really like to take a shower," Haley asked.

"Yeah. Sure, whatever you want," Brooke told her. "Are you hungry?"

Haley shook her head. "No, I just really want to take a shower. I just, I want to take a shower."

Haley's shower lasted for an hour. Brooke and Peyton stayed near the bathroom, listening for any signs that Haley needed help. Afterwards, she'd changed into a pair of flannel pajama pants and a short sleeved t-shirt. She'd fallen asleep almost immediately, but it wasn't sound. Peyton could see her face contorting as she slept. She'd roll over and try and find a comfortable position without fully waking up. Whenever she moved, Peyton would look up and wait to see if she was actually waking up. When she was sure Haley was asleep, she returned to sketching. Looking at the piece before her she saw the Haley that existed just twenty-four hours ago. This Haley had a face free of bruises. It was full of life and full of innocence. Her brown hair was flowing freely, her smile reaching her eyes, which were alight with joy. This was the Haley that Peyton desperately wanted her friend to be again.

Downstairs, Brooke tried to distract herself with Fashion TV. She and Peyton agreed that one of them would stay with Haley while the other stayed downstairs in case the police called about anything. They didn't want the phone disturbing Haley. She'd changed out of her cocktail dress and into a pair of sweat pants and a v-neck sweater, her hair out of its elegant up do and now in a ponytail. She twirled her finger in one of the tendrils falling at the side of her face and tapped her foot on the floor. Brooke Davis could easily become embroiled in Fashion TV but today that wasn't even working. Right now, all Brooke Davis wanted to do was make someone pay. Her thoughts of vengeance were interrupted when the doorbell rang. Brooke bolted, not wanting whoever was there to ring it again, not wanting Haley disturbed.

Brooke looked through the peep hole, surprised to see the two people standing there. But then again, not really surprised. They always rallied when it was needed. She opened the front door and launched herself into Lydia and Jimmy James, bringing them in for a hug. Jimmy dropped the two small suitcases he'd been holding and returned Brooke's hug. She stepped aside, letting Haley's weary parents into the house. As she ushered them into the house, she let a few tears fall. Her earlier anger was replaced by relief to see the two people who were like parents to her. She also felt sympathy. Haley was their youngest. They had seven children and Haley was the baby. She was also the kindest person any of them had ever met. Brooke looked at the two people who had just arrived and knew that they were hurting because their daughter was hurting.

"She's asleep. Peyton's upstairs with her. We didn't want her to wake up alone so we've been taking turns sitting up there," Brooke explained.

"I know we said we'd wait for you guys to call with more news, but we just couldn't," Jimmy told her. "We needed to be with her."

Brooke nodded, still crying. "I know." Brooke understood exactly what they meant. Haley wasn't someone who needed a lot of protecting, but that didn't stop the people who loved her from wanting to do just that.

"She's in Peyton's room since it's not messy like mine. You guys know me," Brooke shrugged. "But I'll clean mine up a little bit and you guys can take it."

"Brooke, we didn't want to be any trouble. We just wanted to see our little girl," Lydia said.

Brooke gave them a small laugh. "Haley said she didn't want to be any trouble when we told her she was getting Peyton's room. Peyton gave this great speech about how we're always there for each other, so let us. So, just take the room. Don't worry about it."

Jimmy set their suitcases in the living room next to the sofa before turning his eyes toward the stairs. "Brooke, I think we'd just like to see our daughter."

Brooke wrung her hands together, needing to explain to them. "The thing is, I don't want you to be shocked but I don't think I can stop that even if I warn you."

"Warn us about what, honey?" Lydia put her hands on Brooke's shoulders.

"He hit her. A lot. The bruising is… bad. She hasn't been able to open her left eye. The doctor said it'll be several days before the swelling goes down. So, she doesn't look like our Haley right now." Brooke looked down at her hands, not wanting to see the look on Lydia and Jimmy's faces.

Lydia placed her hand on Brooke's cheek. "Brooke, look at me." Brooke did as told. Brooke rarely listened to adults; her parents hadn't set the greatest example. Lydia and Jimmy James were different, though. Brooke respected them. "Brooke. Thank you for taking care of our daughter. Thank you for loving her."

Brooke nodded and her cry became more intense. "I'm angry. I know I shouldn't be saying this because right now we all need to focus on Haley and you just want to see your daughter and you came all the way from North Carolina to do it and I should let you just go upstairs to see her and not tell you that I'm angry and if I ever had ten minutes with the son of a bitch who hurt her he'd be dead."

"Brooke. Thank you," Lydia reiterated. She stepped away from Brooke and along with her husband, walked up the stairs to Peyton's room.

Lydia grabbed the railing for support. Brooke stayed at the foot of the stairs and watched as the two people she thought of more as parents than her own parents walked toward their injured daughter.

* * *

The next few days passed quietly. They were able to get Haley to eat and the swelling on her face was finally decreasing and returning to its normal shade. She began talking more and even laughed a few times. Having her parents there seemed to make a big difference. The house was crowded, but none of the five occupants minded. They were sitting around, watching The Philadelphia Story and eating macaroni and cheese – Haley's favorite – when there was a knock on the door. Brooke stood from her seat on the sofa and looked through the peephole.

"Hi, Detective. Come on in," Brooke stepped aside. Hearing who was there, Peyton hit pause on the DVD.

Detective Calhoun walked into the house and nodded a greeting to Peyton. He looked over at Haley.

"You're looking better, Haley," he sincerely said.

Haley had been leaning against her mother, a blanket over her lap. She sat up and gave him a small smile. "These are my parents. Lydia and Jimmy James. Mom, dad, this is Detective Calhoun. We told you about him." Haley's voice had returned to its usual tone in the past few days. It no longer sounded strained. She was beginning to sound stronger. Despite that return to normalcy, the four people in the room who knew her best could hear that something was missing. She sounded slightly numb.

Detective Calhoun shook hands with Lydia and Jimmy and they exchanged pleasantries.

"You can take a seat," Peyton offered, indicating the chair not far from the sofa. The man sat down and faced Haley.

"How are you feeling, Haley?" In the few days that the detective had gotten to know and spoken with Haley he had come to like her. He'd worked rape cases before and always wondered how someone could do this to a woman. Haley James was no exception. He hoped the news he was bringing would help her.

"Okay. I guess. My face is less sore."

"That's good news." Detective Calhoun leaned forward in the chair. "We have some news. We arrested a man this morning. Early this morning. He matches your description and the sketch that we made. We talked to a judge and got permission to take a sample of DNA. We're just waiting on the results. We're pretty sure it's him, though. If you're feeling up to it, it would be really helpful for you to take part in a lineup."

Haley stared at her hands. She bit onto her lip. The cut on it was closed. Biting her lip was a habit she'd had since childhood. She did it whenever she was deep in thought or nervous. She turned her eyes toward the window. Her left eye was opening up some, but not completely yet. She looked back at the detective.

"A lineup? Like in the movies? I'm in one room and he's in another and he can't see me?"

"Yes. Like that. He won't see you. We'll have him back in a cell before you leave the room."

"You're sure it's him?" She squinted her eyes, looking at the light blue rug in their living room. Peyton was sitting on the floor, leaning against the sofa. She wrapped her arm around Haley's leg, wanting to give her friend some support.

"I am. He left DNA and we took a sample from him. I'm sure it'll confirm it."

"What if it isn't him?" Haley's question was barely audible. "You think it'll help if I go down there?"

"I do. With your ID and the DNA results, we would have a strong case for the DA."

"When, when would I have to go?"

"Haley Bob, you don't have to do this if you're afraid," Jimmy told her, taking his daughter's hand.

Haley chewed on her lip again, grateful it was sealing where it had been split open. "If I don't, he could do it to someone else."

"That's a good way to think of it, Haley," Detective Calhoun encouraged her. "The sooner you do it the better. We could go this afternoon or you could do it in the morning."

"If I'm going to do this, I want to get it over with. I just want all of this to be over."

* * *

It did go by quickly. Before Haley knew it, Christmas and New Year's came and went. It was now mid-February, two months after her attack. She kept living with Brooke and Peyton and commuting to school. Her parents stayed until just after New Year's. Haley reluctantly let them tell her six siblings what had happened and why the three of them wouldn't be joining them for Christmas. Haley just didn't feel up to leaving for North Carolina. Instead, they, along with Brooke and Peyton, had a quiet dinner and exchanged a few gifts.

Haley's initial tests came back negative for any sexually transmitted diseases but she was still required to go in from time to time. True to what Detective Calhoun said, they had caught him. His name was Damien Smith. He was abandoned by his parents as a child and grew up in the system. Because of the DNA he had left and Haley's identification of him, the district attorney had no problem convicting him.

Haley awoke one morning and looked at the calendar. February 14th. Valentine's Day. Haley laughed. There would be nothing romantic about today. She wouldn't be attending classes. She had things that needed to be done. Today, Damien Smith would be sentenced. Haley had faced him in court already. With Brooke and Peyton sitting and watching, she had testified. It was the hardest thing she had ever done. When it was over, though, she felt relieved. She meant it when she told Detective Calhoun that she wanted this to be over and she knew she could help that by telling the jury exactly what had happened that night.

The evidence against Smith had been so strong that his public defender didn't even have a case. There were definitely times when Haley sat in bed, her knees curled up to her chin, holding herself in and trying not to break. She wallowed. She wondered why this happened to her. Without having to tell them, Brooke and Peyton knew that that had been Haley's first time. It wasn't how she planned on losing her virginity. But plans change.

She also had moments of anger. She looked at herself in the mirror, smoothing out the off white blouse she had paired with a black skirt that went just above her knees and a simple pair of pumps. Her rich brown hair was down, but had a clip to keep strands from falling in her face. She noticed the scar that was just below her left eye. Once the swelling had gone down and she was able to notice it she spent a good twenty minutes in the bathroom staring in the mirror. That scar, which would fade in time but not all the way, would always be there to remind her. Every time she looked in the mirror, she would see it.

Not that she needed a visual reminder. There were moments when she would wake up and not think about it. She would get up, begin her day, and then it would hit her like a ton of bricks. She wondered if that feeling would ever go away. She wondered if there would ever be a day that she didn't remember that she had been raped.

Today would not be that day. In addition to the sentencing, she also had an appointment with Doctor Adler. Generally for follow up appointments from emergency room visits a patient was advised to see a general physician. Doctor Adler had made an exception, knowing that Haley wouldn't want to share her experience with very many people. Doctor Adler had been there from that first night and knew the whole history of what had happened. She'd been taking care of Haley's testing since it happened.

After the first round of tests, Haley had to come in anyway so Doctor Adler could examine her bruises and cuts to make sure they'd healed properly. There were stitches to be removed from near her eye as well. That was when Haley had been told that the first rounds of tests were clear. Today, she'd be finding out about the second. Haley wouldn't have to be tested again until the six month mark and then six months after that. Then, she would be in the clear. Then, maybe this entire situation would be over and Haley could get on with her life. Then she could get on with finishing her junior year.

She hadn't told her roommate, Corinne, what happened. She just said that she needed to stay with Brooke and Peyton. Corinne had given her a confused look but nodded. She hugged Haley and that was that. They saw each other sometimes on campus, though. For the most part, Haley just went to class and stuck to herself. When Brooke and Peyton weren't working, they were with Haley. They didn't want to leave her alone and truth be told, Haley didn't want to be alone.

Going to the sentencing was something that Haley felt she needed to do on her own. Peyton and Brooke both protested. They offered to wait in the hall. Both had already sacrificed a lot for Haley over the past two months. Peyton had missed several art classes and a few shifts at the record company she interned at. Brooke had a website where she sold her designs and had gotten behind on a few orders.

Haley walked down the hallway at the courthouse, trying to keep her head high but not fully able to. She stopped just outside the courtroom where sentencing was to take place. She wasn't surprised to see Detective Calhoun walking toward her. The middle aged man had been there every step of the way. A part of Haley would miss him; she had come to trust him a great deal. But, he was just another reminder of this nightmare. Haley didn't want anymore reminders. She wanted nothing more than to forget.

"Haley, could you sit down for a moment," Detective Calhoun indicated the bench just behind them.

"Yeah, sure. Is something wrong?" Haley took in the grave look on his face. What now? She couldn't imagine why he looked like this. Today was supposed to be a victory for both of them. He had told her that they didn't catch very many rapists and it was nice to finally have one off of the streets and see a victim get some justice.

"The jail called this morning. They said that there was a fight between some of the inmates," the detective began.

"Smith?"

Detective Calhoun nodded and continued, "He was involved. He was killed. He was stabbed by another inmate. I went down there and saw it for myself. He's dead, Haley. He won't be going to prison."

Haley let the news sink in. She didn't know what to say. The vengeful part of her wanted him to suffer in prison for the rest of his life. But there was another part of her who thought this might be for the best. Now, no matter what the sentence, he'd never be out there again. She didn't know how these things worked; maybe he could have been released on a technicality, or good behavior, or because of prison overcrowding. She had heard about overcrowding from something Peyton had watched on National Geographic.

"Oh," was the only thing that came out of Haley's mouth.

"I don't really know what to say to you, Haley. You've been really strong throughout this entire thing. You're a fighter. I know you'll be okay."

Haley nodded and began chewing on her lower lip. This was it. It was over. She didn't have to think about Damien Smith ever again. Other than occasional tests at the hospital, she was done. She knew it would be over today, she just didn't think for a second that this would be the way it would end.

"Thank you for everything, Detective Calhoun. I appreciate it. All of it," she stood up and smoothed out her skirt.

"Haley, you have my number, you call me if you need anything. Good luck with school," the Detective said, saying goodbye to this young woman who he'd come to admire.

Haley turned and walked away, hearing her heels click on the tile floor of the courthouse. She had counted on this taking much longer. She wasn't scheduled to meet Doctor Adler for another three hours. Haley stepped outside and walked down the stone steps of the courthouse. She took in the trees and the grass, which weren't very green because of the winter weather. She inhaled and exhaled, not really knowing what to do with herself. She felt like she should feel different. She felt like she should feel like there had been a larger impact. Maybe it just hadn't sunk in yet.

She walked up to the snack cart in the portico of the court. Ordering a coffee, she took a seat on a bench and looked at the people walking in and out of the building she'd just exited. This whole thing was ending as abruptly as it had begun. A slight winter breeze wisped through the trees. Haley sipped her coffee but found that it tasted bitter. Throwing it out, she began walking. She had taken the bus to the courthouse. The only car they had was Peyton's Comet. She debated whether or not she should call her friends but decided against it. They were both busy. She'd tell them when they got home. Maybe she'd cook dinner for them.

The three girls had been a lot together, much of it in the past two months. Haley knew she would have fallen apart without their support. She wanted to do something nice for them. She knew she could never repay them for their friendship and deep down she knew she didn't need to. She did want them to know how much they were appreciated.

Haley walked a few blocks before finding a bus that would take her to the hospital. She'd be early, but she would just wait in the lobby. She had a book with her; she could get some reading done.

She arrived at the hospital to find the waiting room surprisingly empty. Almost empty. There was an older man waiting with a bag of frozen vegetables over his mouth. Haley took an empty seat and began reading. She had only read a few paragraphs when Doctor Adler walked by.

"Haley. I thought we weren't meeting for another hour or so?"

"Yeah, I know. I just, the appointment I had earlier got canceled. I figured I would just wait."

"Well, let me take care of this patient and then we'll talk," Doctor Adler nodded toward the gentleman with the vegetables.

"You can take her," he offered. He removed the frozen bag to reveal a split lip. "This'll keep. I've had worse."

"You were here first," Haley protested.

"Ladies first. Especially young ones," the old man smiled.

"Doctor Pruitt will be done with his current patient shortly, then he can see you," Doctor Adler told him, smiling.

Haley stood up and grabbed her purse. "Thank you. Good luck with your lip," she told him.

She followed Doctor Adler to one of the exam rooms in the back. On their way, Doctor Adler grabbed Haley's chart from the reception desk. She'd had it ready, expecting Haley to come in. Haley took a seat on the bed as Doctor Adler sat on the stool.

"He's dead," Haley blurted out. She just couldn't hold it in any longer. She had to tell someone and Dr. Adler had been there since the beginning. She'd seen Haley at her worst.

"Excuse me," Doctor Adler questioned.

"Damien Smith. The guy who did this. Who raped me. He got into some fight in jail this morning and he's dead. I was supposed to go to his sentencing and now he can't be sentenced because he's dead. Although, I guess if you're religious, he has been sentenced. I didn't think of that earlier," Haley mused. "So, other than the two more rounds of testing I have to do, I guess it's done. I don't have to be reminded of this anymore." Haley was talking to herself more than the doctor now, but it felt good to say it out loud.

The doctor's face was serious. She held Haley's chart in her hand as well as a few brochures. "About that, Haley. About reminders."

Haley's heart sunk. She suddenly felt her stomach churn. What had that bastard done? What else was happening now?

"We found something," Doctor Adler said.

* * *

Haley had spent the past few hours baking. She needed something to do; she had to stay busy. By the time Brooke and Peyton walked into the kitchen after getting home they found three dozen cookies and a chocolate cake on the counter. Haley was in the middle of cleaning up the mess and deciding what to bake next after the apple pie currently in the oven was finished.

"What's going on, Tutor Girl?" Brooke inspected Haley's handiwork and looked at her friend. Haley had changed out of the earlier outfit and was now in a pair of jeans and a hoodie. "How did today go?"

"Well, he's dead," Haley replied, not facing them. She just kept cleaning the counters. "Bastard got into a prison fight and got himself killed."

"Oh," Peyton's reaction had been the same as Haley's. "Haley, what are you doing? With all the baked goods."

"Trying not to think. It isn't working," she answered. She finally faced them. They could see the stress all over her face.

Brooke took a few steps closer to Haley. "What happened with Doctor Adler?"

Haley shook her head and looked out the kitchen window. "When Calhoun told me he was dead, I thought I could be done with this. Two more rounds of testing and no more reminders. You know?"

"Yeah, that would be great," Brooke agreed.

Haley looked down at her feet, clad in a pair of Uggs. "Except I can't do that. They found something."

Peyton and Brooke both moved to stand right in front of Haley. They looked at her, waiting for her to tell them what was found. Brooke grabbed Haley's hand and led her to the kitchen table. Haley had stopped flinching when Brooke or Peyton went to touch her. It had taken a few weeks, but she now didn't think twice when one of them went to touch her unexpectedly.

After what seemed like an eternity, Haley finally answered them. Her response was quiet. It was almost like she felt like the quieter she said it, the less true it would be. It was true, though, Haley had seen for herself. Doctor Adler had confirmed it and handed her the literature detailing her options.

"I'm pregnant."

**Note:** Thanks for reading! It's been a long time since I've written anything so any helpful feedback would be great!


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer:** Still not mine.

**Note:** Wow. I'm a little overwhelmed by the response. For some reason I did not expect so many of you to be in favor of Haley having an abortion. As you'll see from this chapter, she has reached a decision. And I'll talk about that a little more at the end of this chapter so I don't spoil anything for you. I won't be updating this regularly, I already had this written though. I do hope you enjoy it and I hope you'll trust where I'm going with this.

* * *

Nathan rushed through the lobby of the hotel and found the doors to the ballroom. The room was decorated, each table adorned with balloons and flowers. The chandelier dangling above the room sparkled. Nathan glanced at the stage as he walked in. An older man with thinning hair was speaking. Nathan quietly walked to his table, seeing his brother sitting there.

Nathan agreed to come to this because he liked the charity. This group provided books to underprivileged children. Nathan hadn't been a big reader growing up. His father insisted that whatever free time he had be spent playing basketball and training for the NBA. It had been that way since he was old enough to hold and dribble a ball. In the past few months Nathan had begun realizing what he had missed out on. He fully supported kids playing sports, obviously. He may have been pressured by his dad, but he still loved the game. He couldn't help but wonder, though, what things would have been like if he'd been able to have a few other interests. That's why he started giving to this charity.

"I'm really sorry, Luke. That interview went really late. I got here as fast as I could," Nathan whispered. He looked around the table. It was populated with Lucas's friends. Nathan knew his brother's girlfriend, of course. Lucas and Peyton had been dating for a while, they'd spent time together. He looked over and noticed Brooke Davis. They'd met once before and Nathan had heard her name from time to time. She was a fashion designer and had her own magazine. Brooke's boyfriend, Julian, was with her. Peyton had said he was some movie producer who was directing for the first time. The fifth person at the table had her back turned toward him.

Nathan sat down at the empty seat next to Lucas and the mystery woman. He glanced over at Peyton and smiled, "Hey, Peyton."

"Hey, Nate. Glad you made it. We'll introduce you after this," Peyton told him.

"After what?"

Lucas pointed at the man on stage, letting Nathan know to pay attention. Nathan did as his brother told him and looked at the man.

"This is a woman has been one of this group's strongest advocates in the past two years. She has a kind, generous heart," he gushed. "Her first album sold three million copies. She won three Grammys for it, including Best New Artist and Record of the Year. Here to perform for us, welcome to the stage, Haley James!"

The room erupted into applause and the woman sitting next to Nathan stood. She smoothed out her purple cocktail dress before making her way to the stage. She grabbed the guitar that was sitting on stage and pulled the strap over her shoulder. She proceeded to adjust the microphone stand to her height. Nathan looked, mesmerized. He'd thought of this woman a lot in the past few years. It had been nearly five years since he first saw her. Since she turned down his offer for dinner.

"It's her," he whispered. He turned to his brother. "Luke, it's her! Stanford James!"

Lucas looked at his brother, confusion coloring his features. "Stanford? That girl? That's Haley?"

Brooke turned to the two of them and glared. "Talk after she sings!"

Lucas and Nathan both mumbled an apology before looking back at the stage. Haley had begun performing a cover of "Teach Your Children." She closed her eyes as she sang and played. Nathan's eyes never left her. She was even more beautiful than he'd remembered. She finished and Nathan began clapping for her, along with the rest of the crowd. He kept staring as she walked to the podium.

"Thank you," she began. "As Mr. Clegg said earlier, it's wonderful to have you all here. In college, I majored in English. Reading has always been a huge part of my life. As we all know, children who come from a less privileged upbringing often don't have the opportunity to read that others do. Through this charity, we can provide them with books. But you can also help through volunteering. Your local library offers reading groups and that's a great time to spend time with those kids and share a lot of reading with them. Thank you for giving your time and your hearts."

Haley smiled at the applause as she headed back toward the table. Brooke and Peyton immediately hugged her and Lucas patted her on the back. She took her seat, glancing at the man who'd come to sit next to her. She did a double take, looking again. He looked familiar, but she just couldn't place where she'd seen him.

"Hi," she said.

He just smiled at her. Haley waited for him to answer but he kept silent. Haley looked to her friends, "Am I missing something?"

"I have no idea what's going on," Peyton answered, leaning back into her boyfriend's arms. "Luke?"

"Nathan, you're sure?"

"It's you," Nathan said, finally speaking to Haley. His eyes hadn't moved from her face the entire time.

Haley looked confused, turning to face him. "Do I know you?"

Lucas laughed and shook his head. "I can't believe it. All this time you've been pining and I've known her."

Nathan looked at Lucas, annoyed, "I have not been pining. Shut up, Pucas."

"Real grown up, Nate," Peyton laughed. "Seriously, guys, what's going on?"

"Do we know each other? You look really familiar," Haley said. It finally hit her. She knew exactly who he was. He looked a little older. He definitely was more attractive. But she remembered that December night almost five years ago perfectly. As much as she didn't want to, she remembered every detail, including what happened before. "Oh my God, it's you."

"You remember? So, you've been thinking about me. Excellent." A cocky smirk was plastered on Nathan's face. She remembered and that gave Nathan a boost of confidence. He didn't have trouble with confidence. Lucas would call it arrogance. Seeing her again unexpectedly had unnerved him. Having her sit next to him, he could barely think straight. But, she remembered him and he didn't want to let her get away again. He straightened his tie, loosening it somewhat in the process. "See, Luke. I knew she'd regret not going out with me."

Haley blushed at the comment. The truth was, she had thought about what would have happened if she'd gone out with him.

"Haley, this is my brother. Nathan Scott, Haley James. Haley James, Nathan Scott. Nate, I've known Haley since we were twelve."

"It's nice to finally meet you. Last time you wouldn't tell me your name. That other girl called you James. I've been calling you Stanford James for almost five years," Nathan's smirk was still on his face. "So, how about dinner? I know you wanted to say yes back then."

"You thought I looked cold and said you could keep me warm," Haley was remembering. "You were pretty sure of yourself."

"I could still keep you warm," Nathan offered.

"Do lines like that work? It's August in Los Angeles," Haley pointed out.

"Haley. A couple of weeks before Christmas?" Brooke interrupted the exchange going on between Nathan and Haley. They'd been talking like no one else was there.

Haley looked at Brooke and then grabbed the fork on the table in front of her, twirling it in her fingers. "Yeah. The night I met Crissy to get notes from her."

Brooke and Peyton exchanged a look, knowing what that night meant to their friend.

"How do you know Luke?" Nathan's attention hadn't left Haley.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Lucas was laughing even though he'd just insulted his brother. "Remember when I used to go to Charlotte every summer to visit my grandparents? I'd go to the library for the reading group. Or, as you called it, 'the gay loser book club.' Anyway, Haley and I were the only teenagers in the group. During the school year, we emailed back and forth. We lost contact for a while during college but when I saw her in Rolling Stone, I decided to see if her email address was still the same. Here we are."

"How about dinner, Haley James? Go out with me. We'd have a good time. I promise. I'm not letting you go this easily this time."

Haley blushed. She felt butterflies in her stomach. That night had played through her mind so many times in the years since. Now, here he was and apparently he'd thought about her too. Here he was, looking even better than he did that night.

"You know, I thought you were pretty hot that night."

"Oh?" Haley couldn't help but be intrigued. He'd thought about her. She wanted to know what he was thinking.

"You've only gotten better. Go out with me."

"You're still persistent."

"This could be the start of something great, you know. You could be missing out on something really fantastic."

"Aren't you the guy who said he might be my future husband if he believed in that kind of thing?"

Nathan looked down, sheepishly. "Yeah, that was me."

"Still don't believe in that kind of thing?"

"I don't know. I'm starting to believe in a lot of things tonight. If anyone could get me to change my mind…"

"You're laying it on a little thick." He was flirting with her and she was flirting right back. Haley knew she was playing with him but she couldn't help it. She liked the back and forth banter with this Nathan. She was enjoying herself.

"Hey, it's not a line. You just popped back into my life after over four years of wondering. That's gotta mean something. Why don't you want to go out with me? I don't think you're married, there's no ring. You're probably still not a lesbian. Are you seeing someone?"

"No. I'm not. I'm just not interested." Haley knew she was lying. She'd gone out with a few guys in the past couple of years but in those dates she never felt the spark she felt right now. Those guys had never made her feel nervous like this, they never gave her butterflies. She had never had fun with those guys over just a conversation like the one she was having now. But, just like with those guys, Haley was guarded. She was careful and cautious.

Haley and Nathan were so involved in their exchange that they didn't notice Brooke whisper in Peyton's ear, "Tutor Girl is totally flirting with your future brother-in-law!"

"So, you're a singer. Tell me about yourself. You can tell me about yourself over dinner." Nathan wasn't going to give up. She'd been brought back into his life and he wasn't going to let her out so easily. Even better, now he had an in with her knowing Lucas.

"Yes, I'm a singer. One who has to be getting home," Haley said, standing up and excusing herself from the table.

"Why? We just got here. Stay and talk to me. I'll get you a drink and we can get to know each other. You might not want to have dinner with me now, but after a few drinks and some talking you might change your mind."

Haley laughed. It wasn't a chuckle like it had been before, but a deep, pure laugh. She was genuinely having fun. "Down, boy."

"You really have to go, Foxy?" Peyton stood up, ready to walk her friend out. Brooke followed. They stood next to Haley. They'd been looking at each other throughout Nathan and Haley's entire conversation. They hadn't seen her like this in years. In fact, they had never seen her like this. They'd seen her date. In high school, they liked Haley's boyfriend but their relationship felt more convenient. Haley had ended it because they weren't in love and she didn't feel any passion for him. Brooke and Peyton both realized that they were seeing a passionate Haley. This passionate Haley never surfaced when it came to men.

"Yeah, I need to get home to Sam," Haley explained.

"Who's Sam? You said you weren't seeing anyone," Nathan asked her, even though he'd been talking specifically to Brooke and Peyton. He seemed slightly offended at the mention of a man and scrunched his nose.

Haley looked him in the eyes. She knew this would change things. She took a breath and as she waited a beat, Peyton and Brooke could see the regret in her eyes. Not regret for who Sam was, but regret for how she knew Nathan would react to this news. This would change everything. This would end everything.

"Sam is my son."

She saw Nathan's expression change. The playful look in his eyes quickly vanished. "You're rethinking that date now, aren't you?" But before he could answer, she turned to the rest of the table. "I'll see you guys later. Peyton, I'll see you at the studio tomorrow. Julian, we'll talk about that song."

She walked away, clutching her small purse. She thought about the conversation she'd just had. She always wondered what would happen if she saw him again and now she knew. She also knew it wouldn't go any further. The look on his face when she told him she had a son said it all. She walked out to the valet and waited for her car. She felt the warm summer breeze hit her skin, but she still felt a chill. She shook her head, scolding herself for having too much fun with him tonight. She shouldn't have let it get that far. She knew it couldn't go any further. She couldn't do that.

Back inside, Nathan stared at the door he'd watched Haley walk out of. "She has a son?" He wasn't asking anyone in particular. He was just asking. He hadn't expected that at all. That had to mean she'd been involved with someone since he last saw her. That someone was probably still in her life. Nathan didn't like the idea of that; it made him uneasy. He knew it was selfish, he just couldn't help it. Something about her made him want her all to himself.

"Yeah, she has a son," Brooke's distinct voice interrupted his thoughts. "That was some pretty intense flirting you were doing there."

"Haley was flirting right back," Julian added.

Nathan turned around, now facing the rest of the table. "She was, wasn't she?"

Lucas shook his head and squinted. "Easy there, little brother. She isn't like the women you usually go out with."

"But, Luke," Nathan began to protest.

"I know. I know. I'm just telling you to take it easy."

"He's right, Nathan. Brooke and I have known Haley since we were four. I know you've turned over a new leaf, but just take it easy with Haley. If you see her again," Peyton told him.

"I've heard your reputation. Like P. Sawyer said, take it easy. Or you'll be dealing with me," Brooke smiled even though she was threatening him.

"You don't want that, man," Julian said.

"What do you mean if I see her again?"

Peyton sighed. "She saw that look on your face when you found out she's a mom. You looked like someone took away your candy."

"I didn't, I didn't mean to. I mean, I didn't-," Nathan stammered. He recovered. "I was just surprised. This has all been a surprise. I didn't expect to see her again."

"Nathan isn't used to girls turning him down. It doesn't happen because usually he goes after bimbos. Haley's the first one with a high IQ."

Nathan looked down at the table, embarrassed. Lucas was right. His usual relationships weren't even really relationships. "I'm trying not to do that anymore," Nathan muttered. "I haven't in a while. You know that."

"I know, Nathan. You've grown a lot in the past year," Lucas replied.

"Anyway, you're going to have your work cut out for you with her," Brooke told him.

"What do you mean? I'm already having a hard time. She's playing hard to get."

"Haley doesn't play hard to get, Nathan. She doesn't play," Peyton informed him.

"Well then what is she doing?"

Brooke thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "That's for Haley to tell you. If she wants to. She doesn't let people in easily."

* * *

Haley walked in her front door, setting her keys on the table in the entryway and slipping her heels off of her feet. She walked into the living room to find a petite blonde sitting on her sofa.

"Hey, Ally," Haley greeted the girl.

"Hi, Miss James. Have a good night?" The girl stood up and turned off the TV. She began walked toward Haley, toward the front door of the house.

"Yeah, it was fine. How was he?"

"Oh, fine. As usual. Sam's a great kid, I love babysitting him."

"You have your tickets for next weekend?"

"Yep! Thanks again for those!"

"Don't worry about it, Ally. It'll be great having you and your friends there. You're great with Sam."

"He's easy to be great with. I wish everyone I babysat for not only had a great kid but could get me great concert tickets as payment," Ally laughed.

"Leave me a message when you get home so I know you got there safely," Haley said, seeing Ally out the front door. Ally nodded in response, getting into her car and pulling away.

Haley looked up the stairs of her house, a smile on her face as she walked up to check on her son. She approached his door and did her best to open it as quietly as possible, knowing that at this hour he would be asleep. She looked in and saw his sleeping form. His eyes were gently closed, his short light brown hair messy. He was on his left side, clutching a small pillow he'd insisted on keeping after a flight to North Carolina a year earlier.

Haley leaned against the door frame, watching her son slumber. He brought his hand to his nose, scratching it. His eyes fluttered open and he smiled, seeing his mother.

"You're back!"

"Yeah, I'm back," she said, walking into his room and sitting on his bed. He turned over onto his back to face her and she brought his covers up on his chest, smoothing them out and tucking him in.

"Did you sing tonight?"

"I did."

"Which one?"

"It was an older one. Not one of mine."

"Oh. Was Aunt Brooke there and Aunt Peyton?"

"Yes. And Julian and Lucas too. You've got to go back to sleep, buddy."

"Studio tomorrow?"

"Yeah, then the park with Andre."

"Can I bring my truck?"

"You can bring your truck."

"Cool!"

"Sleep, Samuel Nathan James." Despite the scolding, Haley hadn't stopped smiling since she walked into the room. Her son had that effect on her.

"Okay," he yawned. "You look pretty tonight, momma."

"Thank you, sweetie," Haley brought her hand to his head, brushing back his hair.

"Song?"

"Sure.

"_They didn't have you where I came from,_

_Didn't know the best was yet to come,_

_Life began when I saw your face,_

_And I hear your laugh like a serenade…_"

* * *

Peyton and Lucas walked into Peyton's apartment, collapsing on the sofa. "Okay, explain this to me. Your brother and Haley."

Lucas draped his arm around Peyton's shoulders. "Almost five years ago when he was at Duke, Nathan goes to an away game at Stanford. He calls me that night, doesn't mention they won or his twenty-three points, or his two assists. He just goes on and on about this girl he met who wouldn't go out with him. I've kind of turned it into a joke. Like if I'd see a girl leaving his place, knowing she'd never been seen around again, I'd tell him she must not have been Stanford James. Then he'd get this look on his face. He's definitely been thinking about her. She never mentioned it?"

Peyton snuggled into her boyfriend. "Not once. I mean, she obviously remembers, though. That was a busy time for her. That's right around when she got pregnant with Sam." Peyton knew that it wasn't right around the time Haley got pregnant. It was right when she got pregnant. Peyton wouldn't mention that part, though. Lucas didn't know who Sam's father was or how he came to be. Haley didn't talk about it and Brooke and Peyton remained silent. He'd long assumed that it was best to not wonder.

"You think my brother has a chance? Because honestly, I've never seen him like this. And I think after that thing with Renee Richardson, he's really trying."

"I don't know. You know Nathan, his reputation was kind of earned. No offense," Peyton shrugged.

"None taken. I know. He knows it."

"I know he's trying to change it and he has. This is just the first time we've seen him really want to date. So, I don't know. Haley's really different. She won't play around with him. She also doesn't date, you know that. Her energy is all on Sam. I can tell you one thing, whenever she does decide to date, they're done if Sam doesn't like it."

"Yeah. She's a great mom."

Peyton signed, placing her hand on Lucas's stomach. "I think it would be good for her, though. She deserves to have someone who can make her happy."

"I think my brother wants to be the one to do that," Lucas theorized.

"He just better not try and screw with her."

* * *

Nathan walked into his house, loosening his tie around his neck. He placed his hand on the railing of the stairs, about to go up to his room, but stopped. Going first to the kitchen for a bottle of water, he next went to his home office. He turned on the lamp on the desk and took a seat in the black leather chair before turning on his computer. The room was decorated with memorabilia from his years of playing basketball. On one wall were jerseys from every team he'd ever played with. On a shelf was an assortment of trophies he'd won. On the desk, next to his computer, was a small collection of photos. One featured Nathan and Lucas after Duke had won a game against UNC – the school Lucas attended. Another was Nathan with his mother on the day he graduated from high school. They were both smiling, though it was forced.

As the computer turned on, Nathan opened the program and began searching. Within minutes he'd finished. Two albums and one EP later, he was in possession of the full Haley James catalog. He hit play as he opened his internet browser and began searching. Through her official website he read her biography and a few blog posts she'd written. The posts were mostly about her music, some chronicling her tour and some the recording process. Using Google, he found several more articles.

As he was reading the last article before going to bed, he began paying closer attention to the song playing. Her voice was laced with emotion and the lyrics were hopeful. This wasn't the kind of music that Nathan usually listened to, but he liked this song. He liked this song a lot. He glanced at the title and smiled. "Sam's Song." Whoever this kid was, he had to be pretty special to inspire as much hope as Nathan felt was in this song.

When Haley first mentioned Sam, Nathan had thought that he must be a man she was involved with and had felt jealous. Now he was even more intrigued with Haley James than before. He was no longer thinking about the man she must have been involved with for her son to have been conceived. For a mother to put this much of herself, of her love for her child into a song, Nathan couldn't help but be in awe of that.

* * *

**Note:** Well, now you know she kept the baby. Abortion and rape are pretty hot button issues but I really felt that for Haley's character, she would keep this child. Go ahead and picture him as Jackson Brundage, he's too adorable not to, right?

Question. I know how Haley reached her decision and what went into it. I haven't decided if I'll include those as flashbacks or as exposition or both. So, let me know if you want to see how she got there. The next chapter does explain some of it, but not in depth.

The song Haley performs at the benefit is Graham Nash's Teach Your Children. The song she sings to Sam is Lullaby by the Dixie Chicks. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter Two

Sorry it's taken so long! Hopefully the next one will be up sooner. I'll definitely try.

Disclaimer: Belongs to Mark & Co. Congrats on season 8!

* * *

Haley was sitting at the piano in the studio space she and Peyton worked at. Her fingers ran along the keys, playing a melody that she had in her head, but hadn't fully formed yet. She glanced at her son, on his knees on the rug, playing with the three trucks he'd brought with him that day. Occasionally he'd make a noise, sounding like an engine. Haley turned her attention to Peyton when she heard her walk into the room.

"That melody sounds good, girlie. Got anymore of it?"

"Not yet, but I'm working on it. Just sort of came to me."

"Is it for Julian?"

"No. I have a good melody laid down for that already; I think it'll work for him. Just working on the lyrics."

"Haley Bob James, writing music for the movies. Not bad for a girl from Charlotte," Peyton marveled.

Haley grinned, "Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer, producing music for the movies. Not bad for a girl from Charlotte."

They hadn't done badly. They'd done very well. Haley finished school, graduating from Stanford with honors. All the while, she'd been raising her son with the help of Brooke and Peyton. Brooke and Peyton had never been around a child, but they quickly took to it. The minute they saw him for the first time, they were head over heels in love with that little boy. Haley had been around her nieces and nephews, but never for an extended period of time. Brooke and Peyton knew, though. They both knew that Haley would be a great mother.

While Haley was at Stanford, Peyton had interned at a record company. She eventually found that she'd made several contacts in the industry. She began working for a club in Palo Alto and had a knack for getting acts to appear. One night, her musician canceled at the last minute and Peyton was panicked. She was scrambling, trying to figure out what to do.

Since the attack and finding out she was pregnant, Haley had spent a lot of time with her guitar and her keyboard. She had always been a talented musician; she'd just never pursued anything regarding it. Haley was shy, so the idea of getting on a stage to perform music never occurred to her. She loved music, though, and it was helping her through a tough time.

Haley and Brooke were at the club that night. Haley wanted to stay in and relax. She was five months pregnant; she didn't want to go to some club for the night. That night ended up changing her life. Peyton needed help and Haley was able to. Without saying a word, Haley got up on stage, sat in front of the piano and began to play. She played three songs and the crowd went wild. As she gave a shy smile and stepped off of the stage, the baby began kicking. She sang to him often and each time he had the same reaction.

Peyton and Brooke decided that Haley should pursue a career in music. They knew Haley had been playing and Peyton had a feeling she'd been writing original songs. She didn't realize how good those songs were, though. When they got back to the house, she began asking Haley questions about how many songs she'd written and if they were all that good. Haley tried to shrug it off, but Peyton and Brooke were having none of that. Before Haley knew it, she was in a studio recording her first EP, financed by Brooke. Performing that first time to help Peyton had left Haley feeling empowered. The feeling was like nothing she'd experienced before. Even though she'd been scared, she'd loved every second of it. Even though she resisted Peyton and Brooke's suggestion, she was glad they gave her that push. Peyton sold the EP at the club and it was a huge success. Now, four years later, Haley had recorded two full albums, she and Peyton now owned their own record company, and not only produced Haley's records, but others as well. It had all worked out astoundingly well.

The three owned the building that housed the studio. It was all theirs and also was home to Clothes Over Bro's, Brooke's clothing company. Brooke had designed clothing for Haley to perform in, which helped get her noticed. Her designs were more popular than ever and she'd finally realized her dream of having an Oscar winner tell Joan Rivers that she was wearing Brooke Davis. She'd expanded her empire to include a magazine – B. Davis. The three may not be living together anymore, but they worked together and saw each other nearly every single day.

Haley continued playing the piano as Sam played and Peyton sorted through some papers. Brooke came bouncing into the room, throwing her purse on the stool to the side of the room. She put her hands on her hips and smiled, mischievously.

"You were flirting last night, Tutor Mom!"

"What's flirting?" Sam abandoned his trucks and looked up at Brooke.

"Good job, Brooke," Peyton laughed.

"What's flirting?" Sam climbed up on the piano bench, sitting with his mom. He began pressing down on a few keys, not making any sort of melody but enjoying the sound.

"Flirting is when grown up mommies talk to grown up boys," Brooke explained. It wasn't a bad explanation.

"Like when mommy talks to Lucas?"

Brooke thought for a moment. "No, more like when Aunt Peyton talks to Lucas."

"Okay," Sam said simply. That was that. That answer satisfied him. "Can I go play with Millie?"

"Sure, buddy. She's right out there," Haley pointed out the window from the studio that looked into an office area. She could clearly see Millie, their assistant. Sam collected one of his trucks and ran out. He immediately climbed onto Millie's desk, smiling at the girl. Haley turned her attention back to Brooke.

"What have we talked about, Brooke? Blurting things out like that. My three year-old was in the room." Haley was smiling, though.

"He's almost four."

"Brooke!"

"Okay, okay. I know. I'm sorry. I just got so excited seeing you flirt! You didn't even flirt with Jared in high school! You two just kind of went out and that was it. You were totally flirting with Lucas's brother! And that man is hot. You should totally take him up on that date."

"He isn't interested, Brooke," Haley answered, looking down at the keys on the piano.

"Yes he is! He's been thinking about you for over four years! That boy wants you."

"Until I mentioned that I have a son," Haley added.

"You know, I know Nathan. He's not a bad guy, Haley. I don't know, maybe it's time you took a chance."

"Guys…," Haley began.

"Come on, Haley. You recognized him. Have you thought about him?"

Haley bit down on her lip. "Yes," she answered quietly. "But, not because I regretted not going out with him. I've just thought, what would have happened if I had gone with him instead of trying to walk home. Or, I guess, what wouldn't have happened. Especially in that first month. But I stopped asking myself that question."

"Why?" Brooke took a seat next to Haley on the piano bench.

Haley looked directly at Brooke. "Because nine months later I had Sam."

Brooke nodded in understanding.

"Haley, just so you know, Lucas thinks that Nathan is really interested in you. Maybe just think about it," Peyton suggested.

She had been thinking about it. Haley had been thinking about it all night. The first date she'd had after having Sam was when he was about a year old. Brooke had set her up with a friend of hers. He was nice; Brooke would never set her up with a jerk. They went out twice before Haley got cold feet and ended it. She wasn't ready to date. Dating for Haley meant emotional intimacy. She wasn't the type of girl to have a fling. She never had been, and she especially wasn't now that she had Sam to consider. She just wasn't ready to open herself up emotionally in that way. She had closed herself off after the rape, but throughout her pregnancy, she'd begun to come out of it. That was all thanks to the life growing inside of her. She found hope. Something ugly had happened to her, but out of it came something completely and entirely innocent.

"By the way, how cute is it that Sam's middle name is Nathan now that you've been having eye sex with a guy named Nathan?" Brooke clapped her hands together excitedly.

"You gave him that middle name, Brooke," Haley reminded her.

"I know! Me and P. Sawyer are geniuses!"

"P. Sawyer and I," Haley corrected her.

"Whatever, grammar Nazi. But really, you let us pick Sam's middle name and we pick the name of the guy who hit on you the night he was… well, you know," Brooke rambled on.

"I thought of that," Haley told them.

"You never said anything, Haley," Peyton observed.

"I know. It's a nice name. Besides, Brooke was so sure I was having a girl, then the doctor said I was having a girl and I didn't think we'd need to use it."

"And 'Brooke' would have made a beautiful middle name," Brooke said. "So, when should we have you see Nathan again? This should be easy since he's Lucas's brother. I wonder which one is older. Doesn't matter. Whenever you two see each other again, I need to have the perfect outfit for you."

"While Brooke is off in Brooke-land, let's get to work," Peyton interrupted. "That song for Julian, how's it going?"

"I need some lyrics for the bridge but other than that, it's almost done. I think he'll like it. It goes well with the scene he wanted it for. Actually, I wrote two songs for it. He can pick. But I think he'll like the first one better."

"Great, let's hear it!"

"Are you two paying attention? We need to talk about Haley and Nathan," Brooke interjected.

"Brooke, she'll date if she wants to," Peyton told her. "Right now, we have to work on your boyfriend's movie."

Brooke scrunched her face and pointed at Peyton, "Fine, but only because you're doing this for Julian. I'm going to my office, but I am not letting this go! I am excited about this!"

Brooke walked out, taking her purse with her and heading for the stairs.

Peyton shook her head and turned her attention to Haley. "She's not going to give up."

"I know."

"Maybe you should go out with him."

Haley glared at Peyton.

"Haley, we just want you to be happy. We saw you two last night. You had a good time. Maybe it's time you do something for yourself."

Without answering Haley began playing the piano. Peyton had heard this part of the song before and paid attention to what Haley was doing, getting back to work. She knew the subject was closed for now.

* * *

After Haley and Sam left, Peyton took a break and walked into Brooke's office. She plopped down on the sofa adjacent to Brooke's desk and put up her feet.

"You need to chill, B. Davis."

"About what?" Brooke continued sketching, not looking up at Peyton.

"You know what. Forcing Haley to go out with Nathan."

Brooke set her pencil down and went to the sofa. She moved Peyton's legs out of the way and sat down.

"Don't you think it's time for her to date, Peyton? I mean really date. She's gone out with two guys in five years and that was only for a total of five dates."

"Brooke, I know. Haley deserves a great guy. But you know you can't force her into it."

"I know. I just want her to be happy. And I wouldn't be so pushy if I didn't see her last night with him. She totally likes him, Peyton!"

"Yeah. I think she does. When I walked into the studio this morning she was playing this song. It was only a few notes, but she had this look on her face. I don't think we have to tell her to think about Nathan, I think she's doing it on her own."

"So, what's the story? He used to be in the tabloids all the time. They said he was with a new girl every night."

Peyton sighed. This might be a problem for Haley. "He was. He stopped about six months ago. Something happened, I don't know what. I think Lucas is the only one who knows the whole story. I just know that in the past few months, I haven't seen Nathan with anyone. He's been really focused on his game. I don't know, Lucas seems to think he really likes her. Although, he doesn't even really know her."

"Well, he needs to get to know her. Haley's great. How can we help with that?"

"Brooke, I see you plotting. Stop it."

"I'm not plotting!" Peyton looked at her and Brooke conceded, "Okay, maybe I am. Don't you want to help? You know Haley might need a push in the right direction. A loving, supportive shove. She'll never go after this without our help."

"You're right. I mean, look at how much trouble we had getting her to go after music."

"And that was totally the right thing for her! She's the most talented singer out there and now she's famous and has awards and everyone loves her, just like they should. So this isn't different, Peyton. We can help with this just like with the music."

"I think we need to do this with a little more finesse," Peyton added, warming up to the idea. Brooke noticed the look on her face.

"You have an idea, don't you?"

Peyton nodded, a smile forming. "Saturday."

"Saturday…," Brooke said slowly. Then it hit her. "OH!"

"Yeah. She'll be performing."

"We don't even have to tell her he's coming! You can just make Lucas bring him. Oh, but Sam will be there. She might not like that."

"So will Ned. He's coming into town tonight."

Brooke laughed, "I'd love to see Ned with a guy who's interested in Haley. You know, this is a great idea. We can so do this! And with Sam there, we can see if Nathan is really serious about this because if he is, he'll be cool with her son around! Peyton, I told Tutor Mom we were geniuses! You need to call Broody!"

"This could backfire, Brooke," Peyton warned.

"No it won't. We'll have it all under control. I need to start planning a dress for Haley. She's going to look hot as hell when I'm done with her!"

"It's an outdoor concert in August, I don't think hot will be a problem."

"You shush and go call Lucas! I have to make a dress and I have to get started now if it's going to be ready for Saturday!"

* * *

Nathan dribbled the ball a few times before positioning himself to shoot it into the net. Nathan heard the net swoosh as the ball smoothly went through it and came out the other end. Nathan retrieved the ball and went through the same motions. Once again, the ball went through the hoop but instead of Nathan getting it, Lucas walked onto the patio and grabbed the ball. Lucas stood next to Nathan and threw the ball through the hoop.

"What are you doing here, Luke?"

"Came to tell you about plans for Saturday," Lucas answered, shooting the ball again.

Nathan took a seat on the patio chair near the pool and took a swig from his water bottle. "I don't have plans on Saturday."

"You do now." Lucas stopped playing with the ball and set it on the ground. He faced his brother and crossed his arms. "You're coming with Peyton and me."

Nathan scoffed, "Like hell."

Lucas shook his head and scratched the back of his head.

"Nathan, we're trying to help you out, little brother."

"I'm taller than you are," Nathan protested.

"Nathan, we're going to a concert at the Hollywood Bowl for Peyton's company."

"What concert? Some fruity band probably."

"Nathan, who do you think is represented by Peyton's label? It's not just Peyton's label. She has a business partner. One of her best friends," Lucas told him, trying to get Nathan to catch up.

"Haley's playing?" Nathan stood up, putting his towel around his neck. "Saturday? What's this concert?"

"I knew you'd be interested. It's a benefit show. There are four artists from their label playing. Not just Haley, but Mia Catalano and a couple of bands. Haley's up first, but after that, she's going to hang out with us for the rest of the show."

Nathan looked down at his feet, thinking. "Does she know I'm coming? Does she even want me there?"

"I don't know. Peyton just called and said to bring you with us. I think you should come, man. Peyton invited you and you know how protective she is of Haley. If she thinks you should come, then you should come."

Nathan nodded his head, a smile forming on his face. "Okay, I'll come. Saturday? What time should I be there?"

"She goes on at noon. Just give the box office your name, your pass will be there."

"Okay, noon. Got it. One on one?"

"First to eleven?"

"I'm gonna school your ass," Nathan taunted.

"In your dreams."

"Please, I do this professionally."

"And I didn't see you guys bringing home a championship this year," Lucas shot back.

"We'll see about next year," Nathan said as he dribbled the ball and maneuvered around Lucas, then took the shot, making it easily. "Hey, Luke?"

"I know, I know, 1-0."

"No, I was gonna say thanks. For Saturday. Thank Peyton for me too, will you?"

Lucas stopped and stood up straight, looking at Nathan. "Nate, what's going on with this? I mean, I've always thought it was a little weird that you kept thinking about Stanford James for so long. I just thought you were a little pissed she wouldn't sleep with you. We know that's never happened before."

"I can't explain it, Luke. She was just so different. I mean, all the other girls, they were always trying so hard to look hot. And they were. But the way she was standing there. She was just different."

"So, you know she isn't the kind of girl who's into flings or anything. She's not just gonna hop into bed with you and be cool with that, Nathan. I've known Haley for a long time, she isn't like that. She isn't really like anyone you've ever been around."

Nathan sighed, frustrated. He ran his hand through his short hair. "I know, Luke. You told me. Brooke and Peyton told me. I know that. And I told you months ago that I was done living my life like that. And yeah, sometimes it'd be nice to get some. But I don't know. I kind of, I guess… I guess I want more than what I've had. I'm not crazy, you know. I know you think I am. But I've been thinking ever since Renee that I want something more and I've been spending years thinking about this girl off and on and now she just pops into my life when I'm finally ready to actually get to know someone and have a relationship. That has to be for a reason. I've got to try, right?"

Lucas smiled. He couldn't argue with anything his brother had said. "Yeah, I guess you do. Just take it easy with her."

"Luke, it's not like she's gonna break." Nathan took the ball and began spinning it on his finger, just to give himself something to do. "Can I ask you something? Why are Brooke and Peyton so protective of her?"

"I don't know. They used to not be. When we hang out during those summers in Charlotte. But, when Haley and I re-connected, there was something different. For one thing, she was a little bit different. But the two of them. They were always really close. But when we all met up again, it's like they were extra protective of Haley. Sam, too. They are in that boy's corner."

Nathan grimaced. "Her son."

"Yeah," Lucas answered. "You okay with that?"

Nathan shrugged. "I've never gone out with anyone with a kid. At least not that I know of. I hope she wasn't too upset with how I reacted. I was just surprised," Nathan admitted.

"He's a great kid, Nate."

"He'd have to be. I listened to that song she wrote for him. That's gotta be a great kid."

Lucas began laughing loudly. "You listened to Haley's music! What, did you get home and start downloading everything? Did you watch YouTube clips too?"

"I actually didn't think about the YouTube clips. But yeah, I might have downloaded some of her music. I was curious. I've heard a few of those songs before. Just never gave them much thought."

"In all seriousness, Nate, nothing gets between Haley and her son. She's a great mom. The two of them are really close."

Nathan nodded. "I wonder what kind of loser up and leaves a girl and her son like that?"

"Someone like Dan," Lucas responded, without having to think.

"Sorry."

"Don't sweat it. I think we both know I got the better end of that deal."

"Yeah, you really did."

"You're doing well now, Nathan. You know who Dan is and you know just how much you don't want to be like him."

"Thanks. Have you heard from him?"

"Nope," Lucas said with finality.

"Me either."

"He's probably just biding his time."

"He can keep doing that until he dies." Nathan thought for a few seconds. "Do you think I have a shot with her?"

Lucas laughed. "I honestly don't know."

"You're no help."

"Hey, I got you a chance to see her on Saturday, didn't I?"

"I guess."

"You guess? I can always have Peyton revoke your pass. You can stay home while the rest of us watch her perform and hang out."

"No, no. I'm coming. I already thanked you!"

"I'm just messing with you, Nathan."

"You're a tool."

"Be nice to your older brother."

"Three months, man! You're three months older. Besides, I'm the one who got all the looks and charm."

"So you think. I'm the one with a steady girlfriend."

"I'm trying! Besides, you two have been together for a while now. Shouldn't you be thinking of proposing or something?"

"Dude, seriously?"

"What? You know your mom has been asking. She told my mom."

Lucas sighed. "They're talking too much to each other."

"They're best friends," Nathan pointed out. "And business partners."

* * *

Haley set down the dish towel she was drying her hands with on the counter when she heard the doorbell ring. She and Sam had a full day. They spent several hours at the studio before spending some time at the park with his friend Andre. Haley was just fixing dinner, waiting for company to arrive.

"Sam!" Haley shouted for her son, who was upstairs in his room. "He's here and dinner is almost ready!"

Before Haley could reach the door, it opened. Peyton and Brooke filed into Haley's house, followed by a man.

"I was just coming to get the door," Haley explained, walking past her best friends and hugging the man. He had wavy brown hair, brown eyes, and a skinny build and was in about his mid-thirties. He picked Haley up off the ground.

"Good to see you, Haley Bob!" He had set his suitcase down in the entry way of her house.

"Well, Ned here was ringing the doorbell when P. Sawyer and I walked up. We thought we'd just let him in instead of waiting for you."

"Uncle Ned!" Sam came bounding down the stairs.

Ned let go of his sister and picked up his nephew. "How is the most handsome man in the James family doing?"

"Pretty good. We went to the studio today and I took my trucks and then we went to the park with Andre and Aunt Brooke said mommy was flirting."

Ned looked at Haley, surprised. "Flirting?"

Haley shook her head, "Brooke doesn't know what she's talking about. And doesn't know when not to speak."

"Hey, I take offense to that," Brooke protested.

"You don't have a case," Peyton joked.

"I'll show you the guest room, Ned," Haley said, leading him up the stairs. "Business meetings all week?"

"Yeah, but I'm good to stay until after your show Saturday."

"That's great. I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too, baby sister. So, really, you were flirting? Who's the guy I have to beat up?"

"Ha ha. Don't worry about it, Ned."

"So, you're not dating?"

"I'm not dating," Haley stated.

Ned furrowed his brow as he set his suitcase down in the room Haley had taken him to. He placed his hands on his hips and faced his sister. "Maybe you should."

Haley shook her head and turned to leave. "I'll let you get settled. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. And the subject of my love life is not a topic up for discussion!"

Downstairs, Brooke and Peyton sat down on the sofa with Sam as he colored a picture on the coffee table in front of them.

"So, Operation: Naley. Did you talk to Lucas?"

"Operation: Naley?" Peyton laughed. "Where did you come up with that?"

"What? You know the press is going to give them some cute name. I may as well be the one to come up with it! Anyway, is it ready?"

"Yeah, I talked to Lucas. It's a go."

Brooke smiled with satisfaction. Peyton shook her head, but smiled too. They both had a good feeling about what they were doing.


	4. Chapter Three

**Note:** Thanks for all of the reviews so far, keep em coming! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Haley was currently in the middle of her pre-show ritual. She had finished her sound check and was now sitting underneath the table in the trailer behind the Hollywood Bowl, humming to herself. She heard the door open, but didn't bother to look up. Peyton and Brooke sat on the small sofa opposite the table.

"You about ready, Haley?" Peyton nudged Haley with her foot.

"Getting there. How's it look out there?"

"Well, we sold out. So, a lot of people out there," Peyton answered.

"It really doesn't help you to picture them all naked?"

Haley laughed. "No, Brooke. Sorry to disappoint you."

"Well, the good news for you is that your biggest fans are all sitting out there ready to cheer you on. Me, P. Sawyer, Julian, Lucas, Sam, Ned, and all the rest of your fans," Brooke cryptically added the last, not quite sure if she should mention that Nathan was there.

Peyton decided to do it for Brooke. "And Nathan."

Haley quickly moved to get up, hitting her head on the table. "Ouch!" She brought her hand to the back of her head, rubbing the spot where she'd hit it. Getting up, she glared at Brooke and Peyton. "Nathan's here?"

"Yes," Brooke answered. "Are you sure you won't wear the dress I brought? Not that you don't look great, you always do, but that dress is just so perfect for you."

"That's why you insisted on making me a dress for today? Brooke! I do not need a dress to impress some guy!"

"He is not some guy! He likes you! You like him," Brooke protested!

"Haley's right. She doesn't need the dress. She's been impressing Nathan all on her own without the fancy clothes."

Brooke frowned. "Fine, you're right. She's been attracting him all on her own. She doesn't need me."

"I always need you, Brooke," Haley went and sat next to her friend and hugged her. "Seriously? Nathan is here?"

"Yeah, if he isn't here yet, he will be," Peyton responded.

Haley sighed. "What is he doing here?"

Peyton and Brooke looked at each other nervously.

"Well, Lucas said he wasn't doing anything today and he hasn't been going out a lot these past few months. So, I said he could come," Peyton answered.

Haley bit down on her lip and looked down at her hands. "I know you two love me and I know you just want what's best for me, but please take it easy. Please? I will date when I'm ready to."

"Haley," Brooke began, before being interrupted.

"Sure thing, Hales. Sure thing. But just so you know, Nathan might be coming around more often. He and Lucas are actually pretty close. We hang out as a group, you know that. Nathan may just become part of that group."

Haley nodded. "Okay, just please don't push me toward him. Or anyone else."

"We'll let you finish getting ready," Peyton said, grabbing Brooke's hand and pulling her out of the trailer.

"Peyton, why did you agree to that?" Brooke waited until they were out of earshot before yelling at her friend.

"Brooke, were you paying attention to what I said to her? I told you we'd have to do this with some finesse. We told her we wouldn't push her, but we still told her to expect Nathan around. Now we just have to tell Lucas to let Nathan know he should hang out with us more."

"Fine, fine, I get it. I wish she was more open to this whole process." Brooke began walking in the direction of the main seating area. "You should probably tell Lucas that you kind of sort of blamed him for Nathan being here."

Peyton laughed. "Yeah, I probably should. He'll be fine to take one for the team."

"Team Naley," Brooke squealed.

"Relax, Brookie."

* * *

Nathan made his way to the private booth where he was supposed to find Lucas and the others. When he got there he saw a man and a small child. Confused, Nathan looked at the pass, double checking the box number to make sure he was where he was supposed to be.

"Lost?" The man noticed Nathan.

"Um, yeah, I don't know. It says I'm supposed to be here."

"Who are you looking for?"

"Uh, my brother. Lucas."

"You're in the right place." The man stood as Nathan moved into the box. "I'm Ned, good to meet you." Ned extended his hand, shaking Nathan's.

"Nathan."

"Scott." Ned recognized Nathan now that he was standing right in front of him. "You guys handed our asses to us last season."

"What?"

"Bobcats fan."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that." Nathan took a seat next to Ned. He looked over at the boy, who was busying himself with an activity book.

"You're not really sorry," Ned laughed. "You guys won, we lost. It's all fair."

"Yeah, that's true."

"You play a good game, though. If I weren't from Charlotte, I might root for the Lakers."

Nathan laughed. "If I didn't play for the Lakers, I might root for Charlotte. I'm from North Carolina," Nathan explained.

"Oh yeah? Where abouts?"

"Little town called Tree Hill. It's near Wilmington. I went to Duke."

"Local boy. Nice."

"You still living in Charlotte, or are you out here?"

"I'm actually in Charleston now. Work."

Nathan nodded. "What do you do?"

"I'm an accountant. Sounds boring, I know. I like the numbers though."

"Everyone's got to find something they like, I guess. I couldn't imagine ever doing anything else. How do you know Lucas?"

"Oh, I don't, really. We've met a few times. I'm here for my sister. This is her kid. He's just hanging out with his Uncle Ned. Aren't you, squirt?"

"Yep!"

Nathan smiled. He seemed like a good kid. "Is your sister Brooke or Peyton?"

"Not by blood," Brooke answered from behind Nathan. He turned around and noticed her walking up to them, Julian at her side. They walked into the box, Julian holding the door open for Brooke. "Julian, this is Ned. Haley's oldest brother. Ned, this is my boyfriend Julian."

Ned stood up and shook hands with Julian. "Good to meet you."

Nathan looked at the boy, realizing that he was Sam. He was looking right at Haley's son. He hadn't expected him to be here. It made sense that he was, though. Lucas had told him about how close Haley and Sam were. Looking at the boy, he could see his mother in him. Their features weren't exact, but there something about him that just reminded him of Haley. It made Nathan smile.

Sam set down his activity book and walked over to where Nathan was sitting, sticking his small hand out. "My name is Samuel James. What's your name?"

"Nathan. Nathan Scott," Nathan answered.

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Mr. Scott," Sam said, shaking Nathan's hand as well as he could, given the difference in the size of Nathan's hand.

"Good to meet you too, Samuel James," Nathan smirked.

"You can call me Sam."

"Sam," Nathan repeated. "So, what's that book you have over there?"

"It has puzzles. Want to help?"

Nathan frowned. "You know, I'd love to but I've never been really good at that stuff."

"It's okay, I'll help. Come on over here." Sam grabbed Nathan's hand and made him sit in a chair closer to where he'd left his book. Without giving it a second thought Sam climbed up onto Nathan's lap, startling him. Nathan had never been around kids. He met some when he had to go to team functions, but never like this. After a few moments, Nathan became comfortable with Sam. He looked down at the book, which Sam was writing in with a pencil.

"My mama and I do these together. She's smart."

"Yeah, I know," Nathan answered.

Sam looked up at Nathan and smiled. "You know my mom?"

"Um, kind of. We've met a couple of times. She's really cool."

Sam nodded enthusiastically. "She's the best mom ever!"

While Sam and Nathan were getting to know each other, they hadn't noticed that while Julian and Ned were talking Brooke was watching them. Sam liked Lucas and he liked Julian but it had taken him a while to warm up to the two of them. He just walked right up to Nathan like it was the most natural thing in the world. After seeing how surprised Nathan was when he found out that Haley was a mother, seeing him being so good around her son made Brooke extremely happy. She rummaged through her purse, pulling out a thin camera. Without Nathan or Sam noticing, Brooke snapped a quick shot of the two of them talking, Sam looking at Nathan and smiling.

"Um, I need to go talk to P. Sawyer, I'll be right back," Brooke excused herself, getting a quick kiss on the cheek from Julian before leaving.

Brooke was nearly skipping as she made her way to the sound booth. She found Peyton talking to the technicians but didn't worry about interrupting them.

"P. SAWYER!" Brooke couldn't contain her excitement anymore.

"Jeez, Brooke! What is going on?"

"He met Sam! When I got to the box, Nathan was there and Sam was sitting there and next thing I know Sam just jumps into Nathan's lap and they start talking and it's like it was so natural and they like each other, Peyton!"

"Whoa, Brooke. Slow down. Nathan and Sam met?"

"Yes, Peyton! I just said that!" Getting frustrated, Brooke took out the camera and pulled up the picture she'd taken. "Look!"

Peyton looked at the picture. She saw Sam looking up at Nathan and Nathan looking down at Sam as the boy sat in his lap. They were each smiling.

"Wow," was all that Peyton could say.

"I know. This is a good thing."

"It is."

"And if Haley sees how good he is with Sam then maybe she'll give him a shot."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Brooke. I've got to finish getting the show ready to start, I've only got a few minutes left."

"Did you talk to Lucas?"

"Yeah, he's happy to be our scapegoat."

"Good boy."

Haley was backstage, tuning her guitar, when Peyton walked up, followed by Brooke. "Whenever you're ready," Peyton told her.

Haley smiled and looked out into the crowd. She noticed her brother in their box but then her eyes noticed something strange. She looked back at Peyton and Brooke.

"Is Nathan Scott arm wrestling with my son?"

Haley looked back and Brooke and Peyton stood directly behind her so they could see as well. Sure enough, Nathan and Sam both had their elbows on the table and Sam was slightly pushing Nathan's arm to the side. Sam was using both hands and Nathan was clearly flexing, showing Sam that he was showing some exertion.

"You have to admit, Tutor Mom, that boy has some nice arms," Brooke commented.

"You have a boyfriend, his name is Julian," Peyton reminded her.

"I can still look."

"What is he doing arm wrestling with my son?"

"Actually, when I left them, the two were getting along great. Don't worry, Haley. Ned's there, Sam is fine and he seems to actually like Nathan. When I went to find Peyton they were working on that puzzle book Sam brought."

Haley looked out at them, smiling. They weren't arm wrestling anymore, but Sam looked really happy. If she had to guess, she'd say Nathan let him win. And if she was being honest with herself, and she was trying not to be, he did have good arms. Haley turned around, picking her guitar up and placing the strap over her shoulder. She placed a few picks in her back pocket before nodding to Peyton, who walked onto the stage, dragging an unsuspecting Brooke along with her.

"What are you doing, Peyton?"

"Come on, you get to introduce Haley with me."

"Why?"

"Because you get into less trouble when you stay with me," Peyton stated simply as she approached the microphone stand.

"Ladies and gentlemen, how is everyone today?" Peyton was greeted by a loud round of cheers from the crowd. "I want to thank you all for coming here today and supporting the amazing work this group does for women who have breast cancer. This is a great cause and we're all going to have a great time today. You're going to hear some awesome music and here to introduce our first performer is the one and only Brooke Davis!"

Brooke stepped up and smiled, not entirely sure of what to do. Peyton held the microphone away from them slightly and whispered in Brooke's ear. "Just introduce Haley."

Brooke smiled and looked out into the crowd. "Okay, first up is our very dear friend. So, let's hear it for the amazing and talented Haley James!"

Brooke and Peyton made their way off of the stage, hugging Haley as she approached the microphone, her band filing in behind her. Haley moved her guitar to her back and adjusted the microphone, which had been set at Peyton's height. Getting it a few inches shorter, she brought her guitar in front of her and smiled at the crowd. A wave of butterflies fluttered in her stomach. It happened every time she first stepped onto the stage and looked out to see thousands of people watching her every move.

"How is everyone today?" She nodded at the loud cheers that followed. "Peyton already said it, but thank you all for coming out here and supporting this great cause. We're going to give you guys a great show."

With that, Haley took two steps back and looked at her band and nodded. Her drummer began counting down and Haley began playing the first chords of her first song.

Nathan wouldn't take his eyes off of Haley as she performed. She looked beautiful. She looked like she was where she belonged, doing something she loved. Her face showed every emotion of her music. Most of the concerts Nathan had been to had singers dressed in as little as possible, trying to show off and they were hot. Haley, though, was beautiful. Wearing a pair of jeans, a white tank top, and a pair of flip flops with her hair down, flowing over her shoulders, she was just naturally beautiful. The last time he'd seen her at that charity event he thought she looked great, in the purple cocktail dress and heels. But a more natural Haley? He'd never seen anything like it before.

Lucas had arrived just before Haley took the stage and sat down next to Nathan. As Nathan watched, his brother leaned over and said to him, "Dude, you're totally gone." Nathan didn't even bother responding. He was too busy watching Haley. The enthralled look on Nathan's face didn't go unnoticed by Brooke or Peyton either.

Haley's set ended after eight songs and she finally joined the group during Mia Catalano's set, having to give a few interviews beforehand. Sam immediately ran into his mother's arms and she picked up him, giving everyone else one armed hugs as she held Sam.

"You're getting too big to carry, buddy. Let's sit down." Setting Sam on the ground, he grabbed her and led her over to the chair he'd been in. Haley sat down and pulled Sam onto her lap and noticed the person sitting next to her – Nathan.

"Hi," she greeted him, having to shout a bit to be heard over Mia's performance.

"You were great," he shouted back!

She nodded in thanks and then pointed at the stage, indicating that she wanted to watch Mia's performance.

Throughout Mia's set Nathan kept stealing glances at Haley. She sat with Sam on her lap, her arms around him and her chin resting on his head. Nathan could see how close the two were. He'd been told, but now he was seeing it for himself.

When Mia's set ended everyone in the box cheered loudly. Nathan politely clapped. He'd never heard of Mia before but from what Lucas had told him, she was close with Haley and Peyton. The two had produced Mia's album and Haley was the one who had discovered her. She had a good voice, Nathan thought. Her music just wasn't what he normally listened to. Neither was Haley's, but then again, Haley was special. Nathan found himself feeling a lot of things he hadn't felt before with Haley and also found that he was willing to step out of his comfort zone.

"I've got to go talk to the next guys," Peyton excused herself, kissing Lucas before heading off.

Now that Mia was done playing and it was quiet for a few minutes before the next act came on Nathan had a chance to talk to Haley.

"You want to have dinner for me?" Subtle was never a word anyone had ever used to describe Nathan Scott. They weren't about to start using the word.

"Yeah, mommy, let's have dinner with Nathan!"

Haley looked at him, her mouth dropping slightly open. She recovered quickly and looked at her son. "Sam, sweetie, why don't you and Aunt Brooke go and get a snack," she suggested.

"Okay!" Sam hopped off of Haley's lap and ran over to Brooke. Brooke looked at Haley and offered a sympathetic smile. As she and Sam turned to leave, Brooke quickly smacked Nathan in the back of the head without saying a word.

After Sam and Brooke were a few feet away, Haley turned to Nathan. "We need to talk." Without waiting for him, she got up and walked out of their private box and went kept walking, assuming he would follow. She assumed correctly. Once she was in a more private area, away from the noise, she turned around to find Nathan right behind her. She looked up at him. She was getting her first real look at him today. He was gorgeous. Easily, he was the most attractive man she'd ever seen. His blue eyes were matched nicely with his short, dark hair. He was dressed casually in a pair of khaki shorts and a light blue t-shirt that wasn't too tight but she could still tell that he was quite muscular.

Haley got a hold on herself and sighed. "Look, I'm… flattered. I am. You keep trying and it's sweet. But you cannot do that in front of my son?"

"You know, I keep noticing how you've never actually given me an answer. I ask you out and you just talk around the question. You've never said yes or no."

"You ask me in front of my son like that. He says yes. It's like you're using him to get to me whether you mean to or not."

"I'm not, I wouldn't," Nathan stammered. No girl had ever made him stammer. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about that. I'd just really like to go out with you."

Haley bit down on her lip and ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm sorry. No. You don't want to go out with me, Nathan, trust me. I come with a lot of baggage." She was trying to let him down easily. She felt like she was right. If he knew who she really was then he wouldn't be trying this hard. Who wants damaged goods?

"What, because you have a son? That's not baggage, he's a great kid from what I can tell. I think I can decide that on my own, you know. You can't just make that decision for me."

"Nathan, you don't even know me-"

"I want to," he interrupted her.

"I don't think you do. I know you're Lucas's brother and because of that you might be around us more often and I think that you and I should just try and be friends and that's it. You seem like a good guy, Nathan, but I can't go out with you."

Nathan nodded, looking down at his shoes. "Guess I got my answer."

"I'm really sorry."

"Don't be. I'm sorry about asking in front of Sam."

"Thank you. How about we go enjoy the rest of the show? The other bands are really great," she said, walking back toward their friends.

Nathan followed, walking a few feet behind her. Haley went back to her seat, looking at what Brooke had gotten Sam to eat.

Nathan didn't make a move to go back in with the group. He looked out into the crowd, squinting in the sun, before turning his attention back to his brother. "Hey, Luke, thank Peyton for inviting me. I've got to go. I forgot I had some stuff to do today."

Lucas looked back at Haley and then at Nathan. "You sure, Nate? We were going to grab a bite to eat after this.

"No, I have to go. Julian, Brooke, good seeing the two of you again. Haley, your show really was great. Ned, have a good flight back to Charleston. Sam, it was nice meeting you," Nathan said goodbye to everyone.

"Nice meeting you too, Nathan," Sam said, walking up to Nathan and reaching for his hand to shake it. With a firm shake, Nathan turned and left, his shoulders slightly hunched over.

Haley sat in her seat, feeling really guilty for what she told Nathan. She believed him when he apologized for asking her out in front of Sam.

"Who knew Tutor Girl was such a heartbreaker," Brooke mused.

"Was that the guy?" Ned figured that since Nathan had asked Haley out he must be the one she'd bee flirting with. He'd also seen the way Nathan looked at his sister, both when she was performing and when she was sitting right next to him.

The rest of the show passed in almost a blur for Haley and she felt guilty about it. She felt guilty about not enjoying the rest of the day with her friends. She felt guilty about how dejected Nathan looked as he walked away. She hadn't wanted to hurt him, but she couldn't bring herself to say yes. At this point, she wasn't sure if she was ready to date or not. What scared her, though, is that the two times she'd been around Nathan she felt like she wanted to be ready.

Haley also knew that she came with emotional hang ups. She'd had to deal with a lot in these past few years. When she got pregnant with Sam, she had to deal with it quickly. She didn't feel like it was fair for her to get involved with a man and for him to have to deal with what she had been through. She didn't want to do that to any man.

* * *

Later that night she was sitting on her patio with Ned. Sam had gone to bed a couple of hours ago and Haley and Ned were enjoying a glass of wine. He was leaving the next morning. Haley loved when any of her family came to visit her. It had been so long since any of them were able to.

"Haley, Nathan seems like a nice guy."

"Ned, you're acting like Brooke and Peyton."

"Thanks a lot," Ned feigned offense. "You know, I remember when you came home to tell us that you were pregnant. You didn't know what you were going to do about it. You know what you did know? You knew that for the health of that baby, you needed to work through what happened to you. You did, but then again you didn't."

"Ned-,"

"Let me finish. You have done a great job with that little boy, Haley. Anyone who knew what you've been through would be so impressed with how well you do raising him. You go to counseling; I know that, you've tried working through it. But you've done all of it for him. You do it all for Sam. There's nothing wrong with that. But it's time you do something for yourself. I don't think you're going to work through this as much as you can until you do something for you. Do something selfish, Hales. Go on a date."

Haley smiled at her brother, sipping on her wine.

"You don't have to say anything. Just think about what I said. I'm older, so it means my advice is automatically good."

"Like that time you told Taylor to wear her shirt backwards when she was in the fifth grade because that's what everyone in high school was doing?"

Ned shrugged. "Tay had that coming. She was a nightmare from the minute she came out."

* * *

Nathan looked down the bar from the stool he was sitting on, sipping on his beer. The redhead a few stools down was eyeing him. She'd been looking since she walked in and it was pretty obvious what she wanted. She was advertising. Her dress barely covered her. When she noticed him glance her way she stood up and walked over to him.

"Hey," she greeted, attempting to purr her word.

"Hi," he was polite and offered a small smile.

"You're Nathan Scott," she told him. "I'm Rachel."

"Hi, Rachel."

"You look lonely sitting her by yourself. You want some company?"

Nathan knew exactly what kind of company she meant. A year ago he would have already had her in his car and would have been half way done with her before they even reached his place or hers. That was a year ago, though. That was before Renee. That was before Haley James came back into his life.

He'd woken up that morning with hope. He was going to see Haley perform and he was going to get to spend the day with her. That came crashing down, though. He'd pointed out that Haley hadn't given him a firm answer and then she did. She said no. After that, he didn't feel like being there at the Hollywood Bowl. He drove around for a bit before finally ending up at this bar. He'd just been sitting there. He was only on his second beer.

A year ago he would have gladly accepted the company of this Rachel. But, this was now.

"I'm going to have to pass. You have a good night." He placed some money on the bar, stood up and walked out.

* * *

**Note:** The next chapter will be heavy on flashbacks. :) Thank you for reading.


	5. Chapter Four

**Note**: So, it isn't just heavy on flashbacks. It's entirely flashbacks. Thanks for all of the support, I really appreciate it!

* * *

**Four Years Ago**

Haley felt a jolt as the plane descended onto the tarmac at Charlotte/Douglas. Instinctively, she gripped the arm rests of her seat. She glanced at Peyton and Brooke, who were sitting next to her. Peyton was fast asleep and hadn't even felt the plane prepare for landing. Brooke was reading one of her fashion magazines. Both were better with flying than Haley was. She braced herself as the plane reached the ground and began to slow to a halt. Peyton definitely felt that and woke up with a yawn. Haley relaxed now that the plane had finally stopped. She unbuckled her seatbelt and stretched. It had been a long flight from San Francisco and Haley hadn't been comfortable for most of it. She had woken up feeling nauseated, which was nothing new, given her current condition. She was just happy to be back on the ground. Maybe now her stomach would settle.

She had found out about her pregnancy a month ago. She was now about three months along, her first trimester coming to a close. She was putting on weight. After the attack, Haley had spent time looking at the scar below her eye in the mirror. Now she was looking in the mirror for a different reason. The past week or so after getting out of the shower, she looked and noticed that her figure was becoming gradually rounder. It was only going to get more round. She decided against terminating her pregnancy, but hadn't made any further decisions. She knew she had to tell her parents, but she couldn't imagine telling them something like this over the phone. She knew she was going to have to come and see them and spring break was the best opportunity. Haley had her final class before break the day before and she, Brooke, and Peyton had flown out first thing in the morning. When Haley had told her parents that she thought she might like to visit for spring break, they immediately arranged flights for her, Peyton, and Brooke. They knew those two were attached to Haley's hip ever since the attack. They also knew that it was likely that they would want to come with Haley. They were right. Brooke and Peyton would especially want to be there for what Haley had to tell her parents.

Lydia and Jimmy hugged their daughter tightly when they saw her at baggage claim. It didn't need to be said how glad they all were to see each other. The three girls sat in the back of Lydia and Jimmy's car as they made the drive to the James house. It was still the same house that Haley had grown up in. The entire James family had grown up there – Haley and all six of her siblings. As they were pulling into their neighborhood, Lydia cleared her throat.

"Taylor and Ned are also visiting. I'm sorry, Haley Bob, they both showed up unexpectedly."

"It's fine, mom. It'll be nice to see them. I haven't seen them since Thanksgiving."

"They're looking forward to seeing you," Jimmy told her, glancing in the rearview mirror. "Brooke, Peyton, we have Quinn and Vivian's old room set up for you."

"We were kind of hoping to stay with Hales, actually," Peyton said.

"Absolutely," Lydia responded. She always loved how close Haley was with Brooke and Peyton and was never more grateful for that closeness as she had been these past three months. "We'll just kick Taylor out of that room and put her in Vivian and Quinn's."

Peyton snorted. "She's gonna love that."

"She'll get over it," Jimmy said.

Jimmy pulled the car into the familiar drive way. The yellow house looked exactly like it did the last time Haley had seen it. The white shutters, the lawn, her mother's roses. They were all the same. The roses were just coming back into bloom after the winter. Haley, Brooke, and Peyton went to grab their suitcases but Lydia stopped them.

"NED JAMES!" Lydia's voice boomed in the direction of the house. "This is why we had sons. To carry the luggage. Especially Brooke's."

As she always did, Brooke packed more than anyone else. Ned came out of the house and crossed the lawn. He hugged his sister. "I've missed you, Haley."

"You too, Ned." Haley felt good hugging her oldest brother. Being the youngest, her family had always looked after her and were always very protective over her. They knew she could handle herself, but that didn't stop them from worrying. They were also enormously proud of her. They'd all been waiting since December to see her. They knew that she was handling what happened and that she was healing, their parents had told them. They still needed to see for themselves.

They made their way up to the front door and saw Taylor leaning against the door jamb with a small smile on her face. Haley wasn't used to this. Taylor was always brash and not in the charming way that Brooke was. Taylor said what was on her mind and didn't care if it offended anyone. She picked on Haley because Haley was the only one younger than she was. Growing up, at times, Haley felt like Taylor was punishing her for taking some of the attention away. Taylor was the second youngest and Haley had come three years after she was born.

Lydia walked in first, followed by Brooke and Peyton. When Haley got to the door and was right in front of Taylor, Taylor gave her a small nod. Taylor hesitated but finally pulled Haley into a hug. She didn't say anything, that wasn't who Taylor was. But the hug meant a lot. That hug was a big step for Taylor.

Once everyone was inside, Jimmy and Ned headed upstairs with Brooke, Peyton, and Haley behind them. Haley found it comforting being in her old room. She had shared it with Taylor until Taylor left for college. In the years between Taylor leaving and Haley leaving, Haley had definitely made the room more her own. The posters were for movies and musicians that Haley liked. There were posters for a few B-horror movies and Fleetwood Mac and The Wreckers.

"I'll bring the air mattress in," Ned offered.

"Thanks, Neddy," Brooke said.

"Don't call me that, Brooke."

"You know you like it."

"I do not."

"Do to."

"Do not."

"Children," Peyton chided.

"I'm going to get dinner started," Jimmy said, about to leave the room. "You girls stay and get settled and I'll call you when it's ready."

After he'd gone, Haley reached for her suitcase and began pulling a few things out. "If you guys don't mind, I'm going to take a shower."

"Haley," Peyton stopped her. "We didn't know Ned and Taylor were going to be here, so what are you going to do?"

"I still have to tell them. And my brothers and sisters would have found out anyway. It's probably better if they hear it from me." Haley picked up her toiletry bag and some clean clothes and headed for the bathroom. She turned the corner and walked into the hallway, almost bumping into Taylor. She hoped Taylor hadn't heard what they were saying. She didn't want her sister to be suspicious. She was going to tell her family about the baby, she just needed to build up the courage to do it. She didn't want to be pushed into it.

"Tay, Brooke and Peyton want to stay in our room with me. If you don't mind."

"No, it's fine. I'll just take Viv and Quinn's. I'm glad you're here, Haley Bob."

Haley waited for Taylor to leave before heading to the bathroom. Taylor walked into the room she had shared with Haley when they were growing up and saw Brooke and Peyton getting their stuff settled. Like she had when they all arrived, Taylor waited in the doorway.

"Hey, Taylor," Peyton said, noticing her. "How've you been?"

"Fine."

"Are you okay, Taylor? You usually have more to say," Brooke said.

Taylor scowled. "How is she?"

Brooke and Peyton understood. Taylor just wasn't sure how to act around Haley.

"She's Haley. I guess. She's dealing with it. I'm not going to lie, she is different. But she's still our Haley. Just be yourself around her, Taylor. If you're not, she's going to know you're trying not to be," Peyton suggested.

Taylor nodded. "All those times I used to tease her about losing her virginity."

"I wouldn't worry about it, Taylor. Haley's happy to see you," Brooke informed her.

Taylor shrugged and grabbed some of her things before leaving the room.

* * *

A couple of days had passed. Taylor had returned to her normal self, taking Peyton's advice to heart. Haley still hadn't told her family what she had come to tell them. She, Peyton, and Brooke had gone around Charlotte and visited some of the spots they used to hang out at during high school. They had a close call during dinner their first night there when Haley felt nauseated after a few bites. She told her parents that the flight had made her queasy and she was sure she'd be fine by the next morning.

Now, on their third night there, they were all sitting around the dining room table talking after dinner. The dishes had been done and put away; everyone was just sipping on a drink and enjoying each others company. Haley realized this was as good of a time as any to break the news. Everyone was there.

Haley looked down at her glass of lemonade and ran her thumb over the rim of the glass. She bit her lip. That nervous habit wasn't going anywhere.

Lydia noticed her daughter and immediately knew something was on her mind. "What's on your mind, Haley Bob?"

Haley breathed in and then exhaled. "I have something to tell you all. It's why I came home. I mean, I wanted to come home. I wanted to see Charlotte. But I needed to tell you something and I've needed to tell it but I couldn't do it over the phone."

"You're rambling," Taylor pointed out.

Peyton and Brooke knew what was coming and immediately moved their chairs closer to Haley. If her family wasn't so concerned about what Haley was about to say, they might have found Brooke and Peyton's action comical.

"What is it, Haley?" Jimmy set his beer down.

"Um. You know, the first round of tests after the attack came back negative. All of them. But the second round, they found something."

"Oh my God," Taylor softly exclaimed.

"Haley…," her mother's face looked more worried than Haley had ever seen it before.

"I'm not sick. Still no STDs and I don't have to be tested for anymore for another six months." Haley looked down at her hands, which were folded in her lap now. She looked up at her family. They all looked terrified. "I'm pregnant. I'm um, I'm due in September. Everything about the pregnancy is normal so far. The doctor said I'm fine. I've been going to appointments and taking the vitamins and all of that. Brooke and Peyton have been making sure I'm okay."

Haley again looked at her family. Now she couldn't read their expressions at all. She had no idea what they were thinking.

Taylor was the first one to speak. "What about the morning after pill?"

"They gave it to me. It didn't work. I, I don't know why. It just didn't. It didn't work."

Taylor continued. "You're taking vitamins and all that stuff. So, you're keeping it?"

"I don't know, Taylor. I haven't decided what to do yet."

"You decided not to get an abortion," Taylor said it like an accusation.

"Taylor," Ned reprimanded.

"It's fine, Ned. We all know we can count on Taylor to say the things we're too polite to say. Even if we're really curious about it. I know you guys have a lot of questions. Yes, I decided not to get an abortion. I couldn't seriously consider it, Taylor. It's not me."

"Why not, Haley? You were raped."

"I know that," Haley answered before Taylor could say another word. "You don't have to remind me, Taylor, believe me I know."

"So, how can you do this, Haley?" Taylor's tone was on the edge of hysterical.

Haley thought for a minute before giving her answer, trying to find just the right words. "I can't kill this baby, Taylor. I can't hold this baby responsible for how it was conceived. What if this baby grows up to be someone really great? What if he or she saves a life or find the cure for cancer or walks on Mars? I'm not saying any of that's going to happen. But just because this baby came out of something that was really bad doesn't mean that he or she will be bad. I can't punish the baby for how it came to be. Raised by the right parents, this baby could grow up to be a really great person. Someone's son or daughter, someone's sister or brother or their friend. I just, I can't kill this baby."

"It's your decision."

"Yes, it is my decision, Taylor."

Lydia decided it was time for her to intervene. "Haley, sweetie, have you decided if you're going to raise this baby?"

"I honestly don't know. I don't even know how I feel about this beyond that I can't have an abortion. But I know that I'm responsible for making sure this baby is safe and healthy no matter who raises him or her. And I started going to counseling."

"Counseling?" Jimmy had moved closer to his wife and held her hand in his.

"Yeah. Like I said, I need to take care of this baby whether I keep it or not. To do that, I need to be as okay as I can be. So, I decided to see someone. I figured it wouldn't hurt to talk to someone about what happened who doesn't know me."

"Is it helping? We just want you to be okay," Jimmy said.

"I know, dad. And it is helping so far."

"What about school?" Ned wanted to know.

"I can finish this year. I'll be showing more. I already am a little, actually. I don't know about the fall yet. Like I said, I'm due in September. They offer a lot of online courses, so I can see about that so I don't miss anything. I might take a summer class to try and get a little ahead."

"Looks like you've got it all figured out," Taylor observed.

"No. I'm just trying, Taylor."

"Now it's time for you to lay off, Tay," Ned scolded.

"Fine. I'll shut up."

"Haley, if you need anything, you call us. Any time of day, whenever. Your father and I will be there as soon as we can," Lydia told her daughter.

"I know, mom. Thank you."

"We're also getting a place closer to campus," Brooke threw in.

Peyton looked confused. "We are?"

"Sure we are. Tutor Girl need to be closer to campus, I mean it's exhausting going from San Francisco to school four times a week and she needs her energy to stay healthy while she has that bun in the oven and P. Sawyer and I can commute and most of my work is at home anyway and P. Sawyer can be late to work because we all know musicians sleep until noon."

Peyton nodded her head. "Yeah, we're getting a place closer to campus. As soon as we get back, Brooke and I are going to start looking."

* * *

The next day Haley was alone in her room. Peyton had gone to spend the day with her dad and Brooke had gone to see if her parents were home. It was hard to tell with Mr. and Mrs. Davis. They also didn't like to keep their daughter informed.

Haley was reclined on her bed, staring at the ceiling with her hands over her abdomen. Her family hadn't said much to her since last night but that was mostly because Haley kept to her room. She'd been doing a lot of thinking.

The last thing she had planned on was being a mother at this age. She'd be turning twenty soon. She thought it would be several years before she even thought about having a baby and that then she'd be in a committed relationship with someone she loved. She had the same thoughts a lot over the past month. She wasn't sure if she was ready to have a baby, but she had to be. She really wasn't sure if she was ready to be a mother, but she had some time to think about that.

Haley was so lost in thought that she didn't notice that Taylor had walked in until she plopped herself down on the bed next to Haley.

"Sorry about last night."

"It's fine, Tay."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Mom, dad, Ned, they were all wondering the same thing. You're just the one who wasn't afraid to ask."

They two sisters were quiet for a few minutes, neither now knowing what to say. Haley was a little caught off guard by the situation. Taylor never came to her like this. She had hugged Haley when she first got to the house, but after that she went back to being the regular Taylor.

"I'm sorry you're going through this, Haley," Taylor whispered.

Haley was now even more caught off guard. But she was touched. She and Taylor had never been close, but to see Taylor trying and making an effort like this meant a lot. Haley had always felt like Taylor had seen her as a nuisance. To know her sister had empathy for her meant so much.

"Thank you, Taylor." Haley waited a few seconds and thought about what she was about to say. "I love you, too."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We both know I'm a brat and after this moment is done I'll go back to that. This shouldn't happen to someone like you, though."

"Someone like me?"

"Yeah, someone good. Someone who does everything right. Someone annoying."

Haley playfully smacked Taylor on her shoulder. It actually felt good to be joking around like this while still having a heart to heart.

"So, you're starting to show?"

"I'm filling out a little."

"I always thought you needed to gain weight."

"You did?"

"Yeah. Once you hit twelve and started getting curves you were getting way too hot. Took some attention away from me."

Haley laughed and shook her head. Everything about this conversation felt good.

"I just don't know how you can stay pregnant, Haley Bob," Taylor confessed.

"You don't have to understand it. But it would be nice if you respected my decision."

* * *

The day before Haley, Brooke, and Peyton were supposed to leave to go back to California, the three girls decided to go to their favorite café in Charlotte. When they walked in a familiar pair of blue eyes caught Haley's attention. He noticed her just as soon as she walked in as he heard the bell above the door. He hadn't seen her since the summer between junior and senior year of high school.

"Haley James!" He stood and pulled her into a huge hug. Haley flinched slightly. She had gotten over her issues with being touched by her family, Brooke and Peyton included, but she was still a little uneasy with people she wasn't as close to. She calmed herself, though, and wrapped her arms around his neck. She had missed him.

"How are you, Lucas Scott?"

"Better now. It's been way too long." He pointed toward his table and invited Haley, Peyton, and Brooke to sit with him. They noticed the stroller next to his table. Inside the stroller was a small, slumbering baby.

"Who's this?" Haley brought her voice to a whisper. She knew it had been a long time since she'd seen Lucas, but she couldn't imagine him with a baby. He was too responsible for that.

"You don't have to whisper, she could sleep through an air raid. This is Lily."

"Is she…?" Brooke looked shocked. She had met Lucas a few times during the summers. Like Haley, she would have never expected him to have a baby.

"She's my sister. My mom and Keith finally got married a while back. Then, this little munchkin came along."

"That's great, Lucas," Peyton beamed. Brooke and Haley liked to tease Peyton about her crush on Lucas. Truth be told, they thought it was mutual.

"You look really great, Peyton. Really great," Lucas told her. When they sat at the booth, Lucas had taken the seat next to Peyton.

"Thanks," she said, somewhat shyly.

"So, what's been on with you three?"

"Just busy off in California," Brooke answered. "I started my own company and have been designing dresses and selling them online. P. Sawyer has been working for this record label and she's about to start running this all ages night at some club near Stanford, which is of course where Tutor Girl goes."

"Always knew you'd make it Stanford, Hales," Lucas said proudly. "Is it everything you dreamed it would be?"

"And then some," Haley said. She wasn't lying. Things had happened at Stanford that she'd never expected. "What about you? UNC?"

"Chapel Hill," Lucas nodded, confirming it. "I love it. Majoring in English. Working on writing. It's great. And my brother's over at Duke, so it isn't too far. We get to hang out."

"You said you two didn't get along," Haley was curious.

"Yeah, things change. Turns out, he's actually a pretty good guy. When you get to know him. He can still be an ass, but he just needed to get away from Dan."

"Oh right, your dad."

"Yeah, Dan."

"How's that going?"

"Well, Dan Scott is in prison. So, it's going pretty well."

"Prison?" Haley was shocked. Lucas had told her a bit about his father but never went in depth. She couldn't imagine what he would have done to be in prison.

"Long story."

"We've got time," Peyton told him.

Lucas ran his hand over the back of his head. "He uh, he shot my Uncle Keith. Dan thought Keith was trying to kill him, so Dan decided to get revenge."

"That's insane, Lucas," Peyton responded.

"I know. Keith may not like Dan, but he'd never try and kill him. He was in surgery for hours after that. We really weren't sure if he was going to make it. He pulled through and it all worked out for the best. He and my mom got married almost right after that. Dan went to jail. We don't talk to him. Or about him much. And I got my brother out of it."

"That's really great it all worked out, Lucas. So, you're writing? How's it going with the great American novel?" Haley and Lucas had talked a lot about how much he wanted to write and tell stories.

"I finished the first draft. I've been polishing up the second," he beamed.

"Seriously? Lucas, that's so great! I'm really happy for you!"

"I'm impressed, Scott," Peyton smiled at him.

"What's this book about?" Haley had heard a few of Lucas's ideas, but wasn't sure which one he had gone with.

Lucas was about to tell them when his phone rang and Lily began crying at the same time. He decided to tend to Lily first, standing from the booth and picking her up and rocking her back and forth. "It's okay, baby girl. It's okay, settle down." Lily just kept crying and crying and Lucas's phone went off again. He looked at the caller ID and frowned. "It's my mom, I have to take it. Can you hold her, Hales?" Before Haley could answer, Lucas's put the tiny baby in Haley's arms and walked outside to take the phone call.

Haley looked at Brooke and Peyton awkwardly. Lily continued sobbing and Haley held her closer to her chest and began swaying her in her arms and humming a soft lullaby. Lily gurgled a bit and looked up at Haley. She reached out her tiny hand, taking in it a loose strand of Haley's hair. Lily smiled a bit, a few bubbles of spittle coming from her mouth. She yawned and closed her eyes and rested her head on Haley's shoulder as Haley continued swaying and humming. Haley shifted slightly so that she could hold Lily more comfortably. They were like that for a few more minutes, Lily holding onto Haley's hair as she fell back asleep to the sound of Haley humming.

Lucas came back in and offered an apology and was about to offer to take Lily back when he noticed how content she looked in his friend's arms.

"Wow, Hales. I might as well just leave her there until you guys order. You're a natural. You'll make a great mom someday."

Haley just smiled uneasily and looked back at the little girl in her arms. She saw peace and comfort and innocence. She saw that Lily Scott didn't have a care in the world. Haley felt like Lily must have felt safe in her arms if she could so easily and so quickly fall back asleep. The realization that she was good at this frightened her a little. At the same time, though, the fact that she was good with Lily didn't mean she was going to be good with another baby. The fact that Lily took to her so quickly didn't mean anything, Haley decided.

* * *

**Note:** The next chapter brings us back to our regular timeline and has plenty of Nathan. Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter Five

**Note:** The reviews you guys have been leaving have been amazing and really encouraging. I don't have time to respond to them all individually, but I am reading all of them. I'm so glad you're liking the story.

After finishing the last chapter, I couldn't wait to start writing this chapter. I don't know when I'll have time for another update, but since the last three came so quickly, hopefully that'll be enough for now. Again, thanks for reading!

* * *

Nathan walked back to his car and leaned against it as he waited for his gas tank to fill up. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, well. If it isn't Nathan Scott," a voice came from the other side of the gas pump. Nathan recognized her immediately. She looked different than she had the other night. She was now dressed in a skirt that came just above her knees with a simple t-shirt. Nathan thought it was an improvement.

"Rachel, right?"

"You remembered. I'm impressed," she smiled.

"You made an impression."

"You went up on my list after that encounter."

Nathan was confused. "List?"

Rachel nodded her head. "I, uh, I run a gossip blog. I'm not Perez, but I've got a decent following and it pays well."

"Wonderful," Nathan muttered under his breath.

"Relax. I wasn't after a story. Well, I was. But if we'd hooked up, I wouldn't have posted it. Okay, that's a total lie. Seriously, though. That bar is a hot spot. All you hot shot athletes go there. It's a good place for a story, especially if you look like me. You guys usually are pretty willing to talk to me and then some."

"And this list?" Nathan didn't like the press. He did a pretty good job of dodging them during the Renee situation, but they still liked sniffing around where they weren't wanted.

"I have a list of guys I meet, don't know who I am, they treat me right, they get a good spot on the list. A lot of guys in your position would have taken advantage of what I was offering. You turned me away."

"That's kind of a screwed up list."

"What's screwed is how many guys aren't on it. You decent types are hard to find. Just be happy you're high up there." Rachel swiped her card and paid for her gas but didn't move to leave. "Why did you turn me down, anyway?"

"You're attractive, Rachel, you're just not my type."

Rachel scoffed, "Please. I know the rumors and I happen to be friends with a few of those rumors. You don't have a type."

"Anything I tell you is going to end up on your blog."

Rachel shook her head. "Nah, turns out you're too boring for that."

"Thanks, I guess. You're really not my type, Rachel."

"Well, well, there might be a story here. You have a type. Who would have ever thought Nathan Scott would have a type?"

Nathan heard the gas pump click, signaling that it was done. Grabbing his keys out of his pocket, he opened the door to his SUV. "You have a good afternoon, Rachel."

Rachel watched Nathan drive away and smiled mischievously. "You might be worth a blog post or two, Nathan Scott. I wonder what you're up to."

* * *

Lucas walked through the building that was home to Red Bedroom Records and Clothes Over Bro's. He was currently on the floor that belonged to the record company. Of the three stories, the first was used for company parties and social functions, if they were needed. Press conferences were held on that floor. The second floor was all Brooke's empire and it looked like it. The walls were lavender purple and as soon as someone stepped out of the elevator they saw the logo that Peyton had drawn for Brooke ages ago, proudly proclaiming that the visitor was entering Clothes Over Bro's. The third floor was drastically different from the first two. The walls were all brick, a rarity in California because of the earthquakes. Lining the brick walls were pictures of Brooke, Haley, and Peyton, chronicling their entire history together. The pictures immediately after getting off of the elevator were of their more public moments including Haley's first performance, Haley and Peyton with the artists they'd signed to their label and even Brooke's first fashion show. As Lucas walked deeper into the Red Bedroom Records offices, the pictures became more personal like from childhood birthday parties and the girls getting ready for prom.

Peyton and Haley shared a large office, which was definitely a compromise between their personalities. Lucas would describe it as a sort of organized chaos. Peyton's artwork was everywhere; they also had the covers to all of their favorite albums on the walls. The space was meant to be a conference room but Haley and Peyton just decided that since most of the behind the scenes work at the company was a collaboration they should just share.

Lucas saw Haley sitting at her desk. On Haley's desk were a few pictures. There were a few of Sam and Haley was with him in one. Brooke and Peyton were with them in another. Lucas loved the relationship between the four of them. When he and Haley had reconnected he had been impressed by the family the four had created. It wasn't conventional and it wasn't something he would have expected of the three girls he spent his summers with during high school, but it was a beautiful thing to see. Seeing Peyton take control and being so serious about that family they'd built made him love her more. It wasn't long after that he had asked her out.

"Where's Peyton?"

Haley looked up from her laptop. "Hey, Luke. She's out of the office. Watching some band rehearse, we might sign them."

"Thought I'd come by and surprise her," he explained.

"Well, you surprised me."

"Yeah, it isn't the same."

"She'll be touched either way."

"Mind if I wait for her?"

"No, that's fine. She shouldn't be too much longer."

Lucas walked over to the plush red sofa right in the middle of the office. Peyton's desk was on one side and Haley's on the opposite.

The two sat in silence for several minutes while Lucas let Haley work. It wasn't awkward. Lucas and Haley had always been comfortable with each other. Haley was distracted, though. She wanted to ask Lucas something but wasn't sure how to go about it.

"Okay, I'm just going to ask," Haley announced.

"Excuse me?" Lucas squinted in Haley's direction, confused.

"How's Nathan? I really didn't mean to hurt him, Lucas, honestly."

Lucas laughed. "Oh, that."

"Yes, that. Why are you laughing?"

"Haley, has this been bothering you since Saturday?"

"Yes."

"I noticed you got a little quiet after he left. Mind if I asked what you said?"

"I told him I thought we should just be friends. I kind of told him it seemed like he was using Sam to get me to say yes to going out with him."

"Haley, he wouldn't do that."

"No, no. I know that, Lucas. It just seemed like it because he just blurted it out in front of Sam. He apologized. I know he's sorry. We talked a little and I just explained that I wasn't looking for anything right now."

"Nathan's a big boy. He'll be fine." Lucas debated about whether or not he should share with Haley just exactly how he felt Nathan felt. "Can I be honest with you though?"

"Please."

"I think it did hurt him. He's never been turned down like that, but it's more than that. He's never tried this hard with someone. He likes you a lot, Haley. He's never been in a relationship but he's giving it all he's got with you."

Haley bit down on her lip and sighed. "Lucas, he's not going to get what he should have out of me."

"Shouldn't you let him decide that?"

Haley chuckled mirthlessly. "That's what he said." She stepped away from behind her desk and leaned against the front of it. "I really am sorry about hurting him, though. Think I should try and make it up to him? I did tell him we should try and be friends."

"What did you have in mind?" Lucas knew that Nathan wasn't going to be happy being just friends with Haley, but he also knew that if Nathan was serious, then he was going to have to work really hard at this. Friendship might not be Nathan's ultimate goal, but it would be a start in the right direction.

"Well, you're all coming over tomorrow night for dinner. He's welcome to join us."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Definitely. He's your brother and we're all friends. Just, Luke, can you do me a favor and maybe not let him know this was my idea? I don't want to lead him on."

Well, Lucas thought, he'd been Peyton's scapegoat this weekend. Now it was time to be Haley's. Besides, he thought this was a good idea. "Yeah, sure."

Haley felt good about this. If she and Nathan could at least be friends then maybe he would get over wanting to go out with her. It was somewhat selfish, but she didn't want to feel guilty about saying no to going on a date with him. She liked Nathan, she was beginning to admit that to herself. If she wasn't who she was, if she hadn't gone through what she'd gone through, and if she didn't have Sam to consider, she probably would have said yes to his offer for a date. Haley was hoping that if they did become friends that the friendship would satisfy that nagging voice in the back of her head telling her to listen to her brother and do something selfish. Like going on a date with Nathan Scott.

Lucas began flipping through an issue of Rolling Stone that was on the table in front of the sofa when Haley returned to her desk to work. Haley was hard at work and just like she hadn't noticed Lucas walk in, she didn't notice Julian either.

"Hey, Haley. Bad time?"

"No, it's fine," she smiled.

"Hey, Lucas."

"Hey man." The two fist bumped, Julian looking awkward while doing it.

"Still not getting the hang of that," Julia said sheepishly.

"Don't sweat it."

"Haley, you said the song would be ready today?"

"Two songs, actually," Haley excitedly told him.

"Two?"

"Yeah, I uh, I wrote two. You can use either of them. Or neither of them. It's totally up to you."

"Really? Wow. I'm impressed, Haley! Your contract, though, we agreed on one."

Haley waved her hand. "Don't worry about it. Just the standard rights deal, I own it, you use it, no charge."

"You, Haley James, are a saint."

"Yeah, I kinda am," she joked. "I hope you like them, Julian."

"Can we play 'em?"

"Mind if I leave the room?" Haley was shy.

"Hales, we've seen you play in front of thousands of people, you can't listen here in front of us?" Lucas was amused.

"That's different. They don't know me. You'll be sitting here with me, judging the songs and it's just the three of us."

"Four of us," Peyton said, walking into the office.

Lucas immediately stood up and walked over to his girlfriend. "Hey you," he kissed her.

"Hey," she smiled, kissing him in return. "This is a nice surprise."

"Told you," Haley said.

"What are we doing?" Peyton set her purse on her desk and switched on her laptop.

"We were about to listen to the songs Haley wrote for me," Julian informed her.

"Ugh, not those again. I've heard those so many times in the past few weeks," Peyton joked.

From across the office Haley picked up one of the M&M's from the jar on her desk and threw it in Peyton's direction.

"You are violent, Haley James. Violent. Well, let's hear 'em. And no running off and hiding, Foxy."

Haley sat back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest, a small pout on her lips.

* * *

Lucas parked his car on the side of the street and got out. Nathan followed, walking up the pathway to the front door of the modest home.

"Whose house is this?" Lucas hadn't told him where they were going. He just came over and told him to get dressed because they were going to get some dinner. Nathan could hear music coming from behind the house. It wasn't large, but it looked nice. The wood panels were blue and matched with the white shutters and the front door. The lawn was nicely tended to and the front was filled with flowers and a small tree. There were two other cars parked in the driveway and Nathan recognized one of them as Peyton's Comet.

Lucas rang the doorbell, still not answering Nathan. As he heard voices from inside, he turned to his brother and nonchalantly said, "It's Haley's house."

"What?" Nathan practically shouted, but regained his composure when the door opened to reveal Brooke behind it.

"About time, Lucas. You're the last one here," Brooke stepped aside to let him in and saw Nathan with him. She had no idea he was coming and didn't know how this would go over with Haley after the last time the two had been thrown together. "Hi, Nathan, how are you?"

Nathan shrugged. "Okay. I guess." Nathan didn't want to impose on Haley. She made her feelings clear. He didn't want to crowd her and that was exactly what his brother was making him do.

"Come on in," Brooke invited him.

Nathan looked in the hallway. It was covered with pictures. It made sense to him that Haley wouldn't want a huge house in a neighborhood filled with other rich people. She'd want something small and something that could be more of a home to Sam. That was something he was sure of after their few meetings. He and Lucas stepped further into the house, Nathan following his brother's lead.

"Everyone is out back," Brooke explained, leading the way.

"Is there a bathroom I could use?" Nathan wanted a minute or two to prepare himself. He had to try and spend some time with Haley and not want to go on a date with her. He had to respect her wishes.

"Two doors down that hall on the right," Brooke directed.

Nathan left in that direction, leaning against the door after he'd locked it. After about several minutes, he left and walked through the living room. Coming right toward him was Haley, carrying a pitcher of what looked like iced tea. She looked beautiful in her casual summer dress. The yellow complimented her skin.

She looked at him and smiled. Inside her stomach was in knots. He looked just as good as he had on Saturday, damn it. "Hi."

"Hi," he replied. He took a few steps closer to her. "Listen, I'm sorry about this."

"About what?"

"About being here. Lucas just said we were getting something to eat, he didn't tell me we were coming here. I didn't want to butt into your life. I'm sorry."

Haley smiled at him. She was slightly embarrassed of having asked Lucas to keep her invitation a secret, but seeing Nathan so apologetic, she wanted to let him know that the invitation was hers. She put a hand on his arm. They both looked at her hand, not sure why it was there, but neither wanting it to leave. Haley definitely regretted trying to comfort him in that way. Brooke was right. He did have good arms and now Haley could feel for herself. She collected her thoughts and spoke. "It's okay, Nathan. I told him to see if you'd like to come. I didn't know he'd surprise you, though. I'm sorry about that. I meant it the other day when I said I wanted us to try and be friends."

Nathan smiled. She wanted him there. Maybe just as friends and he definitely wanted more, but she wanted him there. She wanted him in her life. "In that case, thanks for having me." He reached and took the pitcher from her. "Out there?"

"Um, yeah, on the table is fine."

"Alright."

Haley noticed that as Nathan walked away, his walk had turned to a strut. She shook her head and hoped she wasn't leading him on and hurting him more.

The afternoon was going well and the food was excellent. Haley could definitely cook. Nathan found that even though he wanted more from her, he really did enjoy her company. He'd never had friends who were women but he realized that he liked Haley's friendship. He still wanted more. He still thought she was the right one for him to start a relationship with. But if this was all he could get now, then he'd take it.

Sam was there, playing with his friend Andre. They two had a small plastic playhouse resembling a castle in the back and earlier they were carrying around sticks and were pretending they were swords. Haley was always stealing glances at them, making sure they were okay. After a while they'd moved on the playing with a wiffle ball and a plastic bat. Andre was a natural at hitting the ball, but Sam had some trouble. Nathan was paying attention to his friends, but he noticed Sam getting frustrated and got up and walked over to him, kneeling so that he was nearly at eye level with Sam.

"You want some help?"

Sam lowered his head, almost like he was ashamed.

"I'm not good at this."

"You just need some practice. You want some help?"

Sam nodded his head.

"Okay, stand there and I want you to spread your feet so they're the width of your shoulders." Sam spread his feet as instructed. "Move your feet a little bit more," Nathan told him. Sam moved his feet a little bit more. "Now, lean over home plate a little bit. We'll just pretend we have a home plate here, right? Actually, even better." Nathan stood up and walked over to the table where the adults were and picked up one of the extra paper plates. He set it down right at Sam's feet.

"Okay, now, hold the bat up." Nathan went to stand behind Sam, not realizing that every eye in that backyard was on him. "Now, lift your elbow a little bit." Sam again did just as Nathan instructed. Nathan gently took Sam's elbow and raised it a bit more. "When the ball comes, you use that foot and step forward into the ball. Okay?"

"Okay."

"What's your friend's name again?"

"Andre."

"Hey, Andre," Nathan called out. "Go ahead and throw the ball again." Nathan stood back as Andre prepared to toss the ball to Sam. The ball left Andre's hand and sailed past Sam and into Nathan's hands. He'd positioned himself as catcher. Sam had swung and had missed, but had gotten a lot closer than he had before.

"That's okay, Sam. You're doing better. Want to give it another try?"

Sam nodded again. Nathan lobbed the ball back toward Andre. "Whenever you're ready, Andre!"

Andre threw the ball again, this time Sam's bat connected with it and it sailed over Andre's head. Sam looked shocked, watching the ball as it went through the air, as far as a wiffle ball could go.

"I did it," Sam softly said. "I didn't it!" This time he was louder. He turned around. "Mama! I did it!"

"You did great, sweetie!" Haley was smiling widely. She almost had tears in her eyes watching her son with Nathan. He hadn't had any prompting. He just saw that her son looked frustrated and he went to help him. This only made Haley feel even more that she couldn't give Nathan what he deserved. But, she also was glad that she'd invited him to her home. It was definitely the right decision.

"Mommy," Sam called out.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Can Nathan come to my birthday party?"

Haley's mouth opened and closed like a fish. Nathan just chuckled and looked down at the grass. "Um, yeah. If Nathan's not busy, he can come to your party. But sweetie, he's a busy man, he might have plans."

"Nathan, do you have plans? Do you want to come to my birthday party?"

Andre had come to join them and high fived Sam. Nathan was still kneeling at Sam's level. "When is it?"

"September 17th," Haley answered, having left her spot at the table to join her son and Nathan. Nathan stood up straight. "It's a Saturday. At noon. If you don't have plans, we'd love to have you. And if you don't mind a bunch of four year olds running around. Everyone else will be there," she indicated to everyone at the table behind them. They were all doing a poor job of trying to discreetly watch the scene going on between Nathan, Haley, and Sam.

"I'm pretty sure we don't have any team things going on that day. It's just before the season starts. So, if I don't, I'd love to come."

"Awesome," Sam said.

Haley had her hands on Sam's shoulders. "What do we say for the baseball lesson?"

"Thanks, Nathan!"

"No problem, buddy." Nathan kneeled again and put his fist out in front of Sam. Sam looked at it, confused. "Make a fist and stick it out." Sam did what Nathan said and Nathan brought his fist to connect with Sam's. "There you go."

Sam's eyes lit up and he turned to Andre and lifted his fist. Andre mimicked the action and the two friends bumped fists before running off toward their castle playhouse.

"Thank you for that, Nathan," Haley said as they walked back to everyone else.

"No problem," he said, taking his seat across from her.

"You didn't have to do that, though. Thank you."

Nathan shrugged.

"You're a lot better coach than Dan ever was," Lucas commented. Nathan glared, clearly not wanting to discuss Dan Scott.

* * *

The next day Nathan was in his living room reading over some plays and reviewing old game footage when Lucas came in.

"Don't you work?"

"Don't you?"

"It's offseason."

"I write, I can make my own hours." Lucas joined Nathan on the sofa. "Last night went well."

Nathan smiled but didn't bother looking up from the binder in his lap.

Lucas recognized that smile. "What did you do?"

Nathan smirked. "I sent her a thank you for inviting me last night and for letting me come to Sam's party next month. Hey, what do you get a four year old for his birthday?"

"How did you get her address?"

"I was there yesterday, dumbass."

"How did you get the zip code?"

"Oh, I took it from the contact information in your phone," Nathan answered.

* * *

Hearing the doorbell, Haley went to answer it and found a delivery man standing there with a box.

"I need you to sign for this, ma'am."

"Okay," she said, curious. She hadn't ordered anything. She signed the delivery man's notice and took the box from him, carrying it into the house. She opened it and found a note.

"_Haley –_

_Thank you for having me over and for inviting me to Sam's party. I'm still sorry about how I acted at the concert._

_- Your friend Nathan_"

Haley smiled despite herself and looked further into the box to see what the package was. Inside was a purple and gold basketball with the Lakers logo printed on it. There was also a purple t-shirt and when Haley unfolded it she noticed that printed on the back was 'SCOTT' and right below it the number 23.

"You're welcome, Nathan Scott," Haley said softly.

* * *

**Note:** Again, thanks for reading! I hope to have the next chapter up soon.


	7. Chapter Six

**Note:** I'm sorry this took so long, things got a little busy. The good news is, this chapter and the two that follow it set up some big changes for Nathan and Haley. I don't love how the party turned out, but it's not so much about the party but where the party takes them. You'll see. Again, thank you for all of the kind words!

Oh, and we have another flashback in this chapter.

* * *

Nathan turned to find Brooke looking at him with an amused expression on her face.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

She shook her head. "When's the last time you were in a place like this?"

"Honestly? When I was a kid. I don't know, my dad always had me focusing on my game instead of regular stuff."

"Peyton and me spent a lot of time around this kind of stuff when we found out Tutor Girl was expecting."

Nathan was currently standing in the entrance of a toy store and Brooke had just arrived, as he'd asked her to. A few weeks had passed since Sam and Haley had invited him to the birthday party. When he had asked Lucas what he should get for a gift he hadn't gotten an answer. Nathan thought that Lucas probably didn't realize he was serious. Nathan wanted to make sure to get a great gift, though. He'd gotten to know Sam and Haley even more in the past few weeks. The group of six adults had hung out even more and Nathan was really enjoying Haley's friendship. If he was right about his gut feeling, she was enjoying his friendship too.

He decided that he should ask for Brooke's help with getting Sam a gift and that was what the two were now doing at a toy store.

"Now, here's what you need to know about giving gifts to Sam. He is the exact same way as his mom is. They're grateful for anything you give them because it means you thought of them. But, that doesn't mean they don't love a great gift. If it's something they love, it means you were paying attention. This kid is one of my favorite people to give gifts to. Now, are you ready for your first Brooke Davis shopping experience?"

"I guess," Nathan answered with uncertainty.

"Come on, you're going to love this!" Brooke grabbed his arm and began dragging him through the store. They went right past all of the pink stuff indicating the girl toys. As they passed the aisle of Barbie's Brooke told Nathan, "We totally thought Sam was going to be a girl right until the minute he was born."

"Really?"

"Yep. Peyton and I picked out the most beautiful middle name, too. Haley promised we could pick the baby's middle name," she explained.

"Did you not get to pick? Since he ended up being a boy?"

"No, we still picked. It's a good thing Peyton made us think of one just in case"

"What did you pick?" They were now walking past bicycles that were too big for a boy turning four.

Brooke stopped and stammered. "Well. Actually, we picked Nathan."

Nathan kept his feet rooted in their spot on the linoleum floor as Brooke resumed walking. "Sam's middle name is Nathan?"

Brooke stopped and turned to him. "Don't read much into it. Peyton and I picked it quickly and Haley just liked the sound of it. Samuel Nathan James. It goes good together, right? I know she met you that one night and she knew your name, but the choice was all Peyton and mine's."

Nathan nodded. Still, he wondered. He knew Haley remembered him from that one night and that she had thought about him so he wondered why she was willing for her son to have his name as a middle name. Brooke was right, though. He shouldn't read much into it. It was just a name and it did go well.

"Now we're in the right area. This is going to be so much fun!" Brooke squealed with excitement and Nathan began to wonder if maybe he'd have been better off doing this on his own. "Now, do you have any ideas for what you want get my perfect godson?"

Nathan shrugged. "I was thinking maybe a Wii. Do you think Haley would be okay with that?"

Brooke thought for a moment. "Probably but I think when it comes to video games it's best to ask her first. Any other ideas?"

"Is he too young for Legos? I really liked those when I was a kid."

"I think we're on the right track." Brooke began walking toward the Legos and building blocks. Nathan stopped following her when something caught his eye. He began walking further down the aisle.

"Nathan, where are you going?"

Nathan had stopped in front of a few items and smiled. "This is it."

Brooke stopped next to him and looked, cocking her head to one side. She wasn't sure about this. "It's a basketball hoop."

"It's perfect," Nathan repeated. "Look, it can grow with him. It says ages two to six. He can grow into it for two more years. I know Haley likes him to get outside and active so he stays healthy."

Brooke thought. "He did ask Lucas and Julian what it is you do exactly. He seemed curious about the game."

"Really?" Nathan looked at Brooke and smiled. "It's great, Brooke. I know he likes baseball, but if he was curious about the game. And Luke and I can set it up for him."

Brooke thought for a few more seconds. "Okay. I think it's good. Go ahead and get it. You didn't even need my help."

"Thanks for coming anyway."

"No problem. I can just get more for him!"

"More?"

"Oh yeah, I got his main gift weeks ago. Now I can get more. Actually, I think I'll get him that Wii."

"I thought you said we should check with Haley first."

"Oh, that was you. I can get him the Wii."

"Haley's not going to get mad at you?"

"She might be a little annoyed that I didn't check first but she'll get over it."

Brooke and Nathan both paid for their purchases. Nathan convinced Brooke to add in an NBA game for the Wii and she had reluctantly agreed. Nathan walked Brooke to her car and helped her get her bags into the trunk.

"Nathan, you're doing this the right way."

"What do you mean?"

"With Haley. I know you two are just friends right now but it's the right way to do this."

He just looked at her, not sure how to answer.

Brooke continued, "I know you still like her. And I'm guessing the more you get to know her the more you like her. It's impossible not to. I've known her my entire life so I know how great she is. Just be patient with her and keep doing what you're doing."

"Thanks, Brooke. I don't want to push her into anything she doesn't want, though."

Brooke nodded, understanding completely. "I know. Like I said, keep doing what you're doing." She sighed and looked past Nathan's shoulder. "By the way, we might have just started some rumors. There are a couple of paps back there watching us."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "I've gotten pretty good at the 'no comment' thing."

"Me too. They like to make crap up."

"Tell me about it."

"I'll see you at the party, Nathan." Brooke got into her car and drove away. Nathan did his best to not look directly at the paparazzi as he made his way to his own car and left.

* * *

The morning of the 17th came and Haley walked into her son's room and sat down on his bed next to him. She began running her hand through his hair and he snuggled in closer to her. He opened his eyes slowly and looked up at her.

"Good morning, mommy."

"Morning, baby. Happy birthday!"

"It's my birthday!" With a grin, Sam got up and bounced on his bed.

Haley laughed. She loved watching her son when he was so happy. "So, do you know what I was doing four years ago today?"

Sam nodded his head. "I was being born."

"Yeah you were," Haley scooped him up into her arms and hugged him.

* * *

**Four Years Ago**

Haley sat in her bed in the apartment she shared with Brooke and Peyton. She'd felt herself going into labor the night before and hadn't been able to sleep. The sun was now rising and the contractions were getting closer and closer. She wanted to wait until the last possible minute to go to the hospital. She would be delivering the baby in the same hospital she'd been going to for the past nine months and she wanted to spend as little time as she had to there.

She knew it was getting to be too late, though. She really couldn't wait any longer. She knew that Brooke had an early meeting and had already left. She stood up carefully, grabbing her large belly. Haley felt huge. She'd often told Brooke and Peyton how huge she felt but they'd both laughed it off.

Just as her second trimester was coming to a close, Haley came to a decision. She had fallen in love with the baby she was carrying. She knew it wasn't going to be easy, but she also knew that the minute she decided to raise this child that Peyton and Brooke would be there to help her. She was right. She sat them down and told them her decision and they immediately began all of their planning for the new addition to their household.

Haley slipped on her shoes and made her way to the living room. She found Peyton watching a morning talk show with a glass of orange juice in her hand.

"Hey, Peyt," Haley greeted her.

"Hey, girlie. How are you two today?"

"We're okay," Haley answered. "It's time, Peyton."

"Time for what?" Peyton's eyes didn't leave the TV.

"I'm in labor. I have been since last night."

Peyton quickly got up from her seat and set down her juice. She frantically looked around for the remote to turn off the TV. Not finding it, she just left the TV on and walked over to Haley and gently took her arm.

"I'm okay, Peyton, I can walk."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure, let's just get to the hospital," Haley told her.

Peyton nodded and grabbed the small bag they had packed for Haley and had set by the front door for the moment she was ready.

"You'll call Brooke?" Haley was climbing into the Comet.

"Yeah, don't worry about anything but delivering this healthy little girl."

"Thanks, Peyton. For everything."

"No problem, Haley."

A couple of hours later Haley and Peyton were still waiting for it to be time to deliver. They left a message for Brooke, who was in her meeting. They weren't surprised when Brooke came barging onto the maternity floor, shouting to anyone who would listen, trying to find her friends.

Before Haley knew it, she was in the delivery room. Peyton and Brooke stood on either side of her, both wearing smocks and each holding a hand as Haley pushed. Haley pushed and pushed, words of encouragement coming from her friends every few seconds. Occasionally one of them would wipe the sweat from her forehead. The time came and the doctor ordered Haley to give one big, final push. She did and she immediately heard her crying baby.

"Congratulations, it's a boy," the doctor told her.

"A boy?" Haley was surprised. Her doctor told her that the baby had been at an odd angle, but that he was sure she was having a girl. "A boy," she repeated, with more certainty.

"Are you sure?" Brooke peaked over Haley's raised knees and looked at the crying baby the doctor was holding up. Looking, Brooke realized the doctor was absolutely sure. "Oh yeah. That's a boy."

"Who wants to cut the umbilical cord?" The doctor looked to Brooke and Peyton.

"P. Sawyer, go ahead. I don't want to hurt the little guy," Brooke offered.

"You sure?"

Brooke nodded and Peyton cautiously cut the cord. The nurses got the baby boy cleaned up and placed him in his mother's arms. Peyton and Brooke leaned on the bed next to Haley, looking at the little boy in their friend's arms.

"Hey, there kiddo. It's a good thing your mom hates pink, because we thought you were going to be a girl and if I had gotten all the pink I wanted to you might have started out life being really confused," Brooke explained.

"Got a name picked out, Hales? We only came up with girl names," Peyton said.

"I thought of a few boy names. Sam. Samuel James," Haley said, satisfied. "Sam. Hi there, Sam." Haley leaned her head down to her son, taking in his newborn scent. "You guys were sure he was going to be a girl. Did you think of any boy middle names?"

Peyton and Brooke looked at each other. "Well, Peyton made us think of at least one," Brooke admitted.

"Nathan," Peyton said.

"We both liked it," Brooke added.

Haley stopped and thought for a minute, her mind drifting back to the night her son was conceived and the guy who had so persistently asked her out. His name was Nathan. It was a nice name, she thought. It went well with Samuel. She wasn't naming Sam after the guy who had asked her out, but the fact that her two best friends had picked out that name for her son still had her thinking. She did promise them that they could be responsible for the middle name.

"Samuel Nathan James," Haley said. "Welcome to the world."

* * *

**Four Years Later**

Nathan arrived at Haley's house a little early. Lucas had asked him to come help set up. As he approached the house he saw a large amount of balloons in the front of the house. He knocked, but walked in when he noticed that the door was slightly ajar. The house looked great, with banners and streamers and balloons. The party had a Spider-Man theme. Nathan set his gift where he saw the others and went to the backyard. He found the others out there, setting things up.

"Hey guys," he greeted them.

"Hey, Nate. Help me out with this," Lucas asked. Nathan walked over and helped Lucas fasten a banner to the patio.

"So," Julian began, "Brooke tells me the paparazzi caught you two together. You two might be a new rumored it couple?"

Nathan worried that Julian might be upset until he noticed that the other man was smiling.

"Sorry about that, man. She was just helping me out with a gift."

"I know, "Julian said. "She told me before you guys even went. Don't worry about it. I actually think it's kind of funny."

"I'm glad you think so. I really didn't mean for that to happen."

"Really, Nathan. It's cool."

Brooke and Peyton came out, each carrying trays of snacks. They set them on the tables that had been set up. In one corner of the yard, there was a bounce house set up.

"You came," Haley's voice came from behind Nathan as he continued helping Lucas with the banners. He turned to look at her. She was dressed casually. He had decided that she could wear anything and still look beautiful.

"Yeah, I said I would."

"I know. I just know how busy you're getting with the team."

Nathan smiled. "I am. But I wanted to be here."

"Thanks for coming, Nathan. Sam is going to be happy you're here." Haley began walking away to finishing getting things ready, but turned and walked a few steps closer to Nathan. "I'm glad you're here."

Haley felt butterflies in her stomach as she walked back toward her kitchen. She had been feeling them more and more around Nathan lately. She didn't want to, but those butterflies were there nonetheless. She was relieved that he hadn't asked her out in weeks. It was making being friends much easier. She was also sure that if he asked her out again now, now that she'd had time to get to know him, that she would probably say yes.

The party began and kids had arrived. Nathan noticed that they seemed to have endless energy. Haley had thrown a great party for Sam. Brooke was right; Sam loved getting gifts because it meant someone had thought of him. He especially loved the gift that Nathan had gotten him. Nathan and Lucas had set it up and Nathan spent some time teaching Sam how to correctly throw the ball into the hoop. He also spent time dodging one of the mothers. Peyton told him that she was Mrs. Scolnik, Chuck's mom. She kept walking up to him and blatantly trying to flirt. Every time Nathan would be polite, but would try and find the fastest exit.

The party had ended and Sam had gone to spend the night at his friend Andre's house. Brooke and Julian had left, but Lucas, Peyton, and Nathan were still there helping Haley clean up. Lucas and Peyton were outside, picking up trash and taking down the banners and balloons. Nathan was helping Haley inside.

"This was a good party," Nathan told her.

Haley raised one eyebrow and looked at him questioningly. "A four year-old's birthday party?"

Nathan thought for a few seconds. "Yeah. He had a great time. He was running around the whole time, he loved his gifts. You threw him a great party."

Haley blushed and looked down. "Thanks." She began putting the cake into a storage container. Not much was left, but there was enough for Sam to have when he got home the next day. "You were a big hit."

"I didn't want to take any attention away from Sam."

"You didn't. In fact, if anything, you made him more popular. Seriously, his friends think he's so cool now that they know that he knows you." Haley laughed. "Chuck Scolnik's mom kept trying to hit on you."

"You noticed that?" Mrs. Scolnik wasn't exactly subtle.

"Yeah, I think we all noticed. She's, uh, she's different."

"Sorry about that," Nathan apologized.

"Nathan, you didn't do anything. I am glad you came. He loves the gift you got him."

"Brooke helped out," Nathan admitted.

Haley stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "She said that you found that all on your own. Thank you." Haley looked around her kitchen, surveying their work. "I think we're done in here for tonight. You want to sit down?" Haley walked over to the small table on the other end of her kitchen and sat down. Nathan followed.

He looked down at his hands resting on the table. He had a great time hanging out with his friends and teaching Sam a few basics of basketball. The other kids took turns learning, but since Sam was the birthday boy, he got most of the time with Nathan. The entire time Nathan had been wondering something, but he wasn't sure how or if he should ask Haley about it.

Haley noticed that Nathan was deep in thought about something. She wondered if she should ask him about it. They had gotten closer over the past few weeks, but they hadn't really spent any one on one time together. Haley was a little surprised that she didn't find it awkward. She was nervous around him, she had come to terms with the fact that she was nervous around him and would have to try and get over it. But she was relieved that they weren't awkward. If they could spent time alone together and have it not be awkward, then Haley had hope they she could stop feeling nervous around Nathan.

She finally decided that she should just ask him what he was thinking about. "What's on your mind?"

Nathan looked up at her. She was looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and sympathy. He wasn't sure if they were close enough for him to actually ask what he was thinking about.

"You can tell me," she prodded. "We're friends, right?"

Nathan nodded. "Yeah, we're friends." He hesitated before speaking. "I was just thinking about Sam."

"What about him?"

"I just… I just was kind of wondering about his dad." Nathan saw the look of surprise on Haley's face. "He's a great kid. And I think you're great. And I just can't figure out why Sam's dad wouldn't be here for all of this. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry, Haley."

Haley bit down on her lip and leaned back in her chair. "It's okay," she said softly.

"I'm really sorry, Haley. I didn't mean to make you feel bad." The minute Nathan saw her reaction to his question he regretted asking it.

"I know, Nathan. Really, it's okay." Haley knew that Nathan would be okay if she didn't give him an answer about where Sam's father was. The truth was Haley had never considered Sam to have a father. He didn't. Damien Smith had raped her and gotten her pregnant. He was dead and that was the end of his involvement. Nothing else about Damien Smith mattered, especially when it came to Sam. "Let's just say he's not in the picture," she told Nathan. She knew she didn't have to tell him anything, but she wanted to say something. Something about Nathan Scott was making Haley want to open up to him and that scared her more than anything.

Haley knew that if she opened up to Nathan that she'd just start liking him more. If she let down those walls then she would let down more. She was starting to let him in already, more than she had with Lucas and Julian. Haley just knew that she wasn't ready to date anyone. She couldn't give someone like Nathan what he deserved. She didn't feel like she would be enough for him. If she kept letting him in, she'd want to try and be enough for him anyway and she just wasn't sure she was ready for that. He was a great guy. She hadn't expected that, but she was grateful for his friendship.

Nathan looked at Haley. She was deep in thought. He wanted to say something; he wanted to make her feel better. "You know, my dad, he was no picnic. I know you know some stuff that Lucas told you. You know he's in prison. Having a dad around, it's not always what it should be. You do a great job, Haley. You're a great mom."

Haley looked up at Nathan, surprised by his words. She hadn't expected him to say anything else on the matter. She thought he'd let it go and that would be that. She wasn't sure how she felt about what he said. Mostly, she was touched and she was grateful. She tried so hard to be the best mom that she could be for Sam. Nothing was more important than that. On the other hand, Nathan said things like that and she was once again tempted to let him in a little bit more. Nothing scared her more than that.

* * *

**Note:** I'm actually really excited to write the next two chapters so hopefully I can get those up soon.

I also got ideas for two other fics but I don't know if I want to start anything new until I finish this. This one is a long way from being finished.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Note:** WOW. Seventy-two reviews so far! Thank you so much! I'm also glad you all are trusting me on the issue of rape and how that's influencing Haley and Nathan's budding relationship.

**Disclaimer:** I keep forgetting this. Oops. For this chapter, every chapter before it, and every chapter after it - I don't own any of it. It is all the property of Mark Schawhn, the other producers, WB, and the CW. I'm just borrowing these great characters.

* * *

The crowd in front of the Staples Center was insane. The excitement was palpable. The Lakers would be playing their first game in three days and today the team was holding a charity auction. Among the items auctioned off would be signed basketballs, jerseys, floor seats, and the players themselves. That's right, the players. The highest bidder could get themselves a member of the Los Angeles Lakers for one afternoon. Haley couldn't help but wonder if that's what many of these women were hoping for there. Haley noticed a lot of cleavage and a lot of leg.

Haley hadn't planned on coming to this event, but Nathan had asked her and Brooke and Peyton immediately agreed for her. Haley tended to avoid large spectacles unless she had to be there. She just didn't like the attention. However, with the career she had chosen, she often had to be involved in spectacles like this.

Haley stood in the crowd with Brooke, Peyton, and Lucas. The three of them were toward the front. A stage had been put up right on Chick Hearn Court in between the Staples Center and the Nokia Theater. Various Laker Girls were holding up items for auction. The auction had begun a while ago and so far, the team had pulled in quite a lot of money from only the signed basketballs and jerseys. They were doing this to help a local children's charity. Haley had worked with the group before and thought it was a great cause.

"I can't believe we're at an auction and there hasn't been a single thing I wanted to buy," Brooke huffed. "Who wants an old basketball with a bunch of signatures on it?"

"That guy who paid $5,000 for it," Lucas answered.

"I can get a different kind of leather for that much money. Imagine the shoes I could get," Brooke said.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN!" The announcer's voice interrupted Brooke. "COMING UP NEXT ARE OUR PLAYERS, SO GET READY TO BID!"

A loud applause came from the crowd and Haley noticed that some of the women moved to get closer to the stage. The first players came out onto the stage, strutting and showing off. Under normal circumstances, Haley would have found it off putting, but the guys were just trying to get as much money as they could. The first few players were auctioned off and went for quite a lot of money. The bidding had gotten intense for the last one. Haley found the whole thing funny, actually.

"Next on the auction block is number twenty-three, Nathan Scott!" The announcer could barely be heard after saying Nathan's number, the cheering was so loud. Nathan strolled onto the stage in his Lakers warm ups and a pair of sunglasses. The music changed to "Ladies' Night" and Nathan threw his sunglasses into the crowd with a smirk. He stopped in the center of the stage and undid the first button of his warm ups. The women in the crowd were going crazy and the bidding had already started.

"It smells like sex out here," Peyton laughed.

"That's my brother you're talking about," Lucas grimaced.

"Aww, poor Lucas. I'd bid on you if you were up there," Peyton consoled him.

"Tutor Girl, these women are going crazy for Nathan. You need to stake your claim," Brooke demanded.

Haley shook her head and watched what was going on around her. "I don't have a claim on him, Brooke. We're friends."

Brooke frowned and thrust her paddle into Haley's hand and forced Haley's hand into the air, making her bid.

"Brooke, what are you doing?"

"Helping you," Brooke answered. "It's for a good cause. Two good causes, actually."

Nathan had by now pulled off the warm up pants and was dressed in the shorts from his uniform. He had his hands at the collar of his warm ups and ripped it open, revealing the words "Boy Toy" written on his chest in purple paint. Once the warm ups were off, he turned his back to the crowd and flexed.

"Whoa," Haley said, in reaction to the crowd. She didn't even protest when Brooke raised her hand holding the paddle again, forcing her to bid.

Nathan continued flexing and showing off, hamming it up for the crowd and before Haley even realized what she was doing, she was raising her arm of her own free will, bidding on Nathan. She kept bidding, competing with another woman who was shooting daggers at Haley with the glare she was giving her.

"Good job, Haley," Brooke said, proud.

Haley shrugged and blushed. "I need some help around the house and it's a really good cause."

Haley and the woman continued bidding and Haley realized that she actually wanted to defeat this woman. More importantly, she didn't want anyone else bidding on Nathan. Especially after the show he was putting on. The problem was, she really felt like she had no claim on him. He was free to do whatever he wanted. Haley just couldn't help herself and she was realizing that the feelings of nervousness about her attraction to Nathan weren't going away. She was realizing that she didn't want them to. He had become a wonderful friend to her and she knew she couldn't lie to herself anymore. She wanted to spend time with Nathan and perhaps she was feeling like she wanted more. Perhaps she was feeling like she wanted to finally try to be enough for him.

The bidding finally ended, with Haley being declared the winner. The other woman turned and left with a scowl on her face. Haley blushed even deeper at the looks that Brooke and Peyton were giving her. She started biting her lip and avoiding their amused expressions. "I have to go pay," she excused herself.

As they watched Haley walk away, Peyton threw her arm around Brooke's shoulders. "I thought we said we weren't going to push her."

"It's for a good cause."

"You said two good causes," Lucas reminded her. "What's the other one?"

"That charity," Brooke explained like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Peyton laughed. "What's the first?"

"Haley's love life and happiness. Besides, she doesn't need me to push her. You noticed how into the bidding she got."

"She really did," Lucas observed. "Do you think she's starting to come around to him?"

"He's done everything right," Peyton said. "She might be."

* * *

Nathan had no idea who had bid on him. All he knew was that he'd gone for the most money so far. He walked toward the area where auction winners were paying, not knowing who he'd be meeting. He hadn't put his clothes back on yet. He was still in his shorts with no shirt on as he got closer to the tented area. He stopped when he noticed her bent down at the table, writing out a check. He knew she was coming, but he didn't know she would be bidding on anything. He hoped she had been the one to bid on him, but at the same time he didn't want to set himself up for disappointment. He watched as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and straightened herself up. The man behind the table handed her some papers and she turned.

Haley noticed Nathan standing in the crowd, watching her. She tried to focus on his face instead of the fact that he was still without a shirt and was looking really good. She walked over to him nervously, holding the papers she'd been handed in front of her, almost like she thought they might act as a shield.

"Hi," she greeted him, smiling and then looking down at the sandals on her feet.

"Hi. I'm glad you came. I was just up," he didn't know if she'd seen.

"I know. I, uh, I bought you," she explained, blushing again. She was feeling like that's all she had been doing this morning.

"You did?" Nathan had hoped it was her, but couldn't help being surprised. He also didn't want to seem too excited about this.

"So, uh," Haley decided to address the issue currently running through her head straight on. "Boy Toy?"

Nathan laughed. "The guys were all kind of seeing who could go for the most money. It's for a good cause."

"Yeah, it is. I've done work with them before."

Nathan smiled at her, just watching her. He thought she looked nervous but he couldn't tell. "So, now that you have me what are you going to do with me?"

Haley grinned. He was flirting and she was actually in the mood to flirt back. She just hoped that she wasn't so nervous that it would come out sounding awkward. "Oh, you'll see, Twenty-Three. Just wear something you can get dirty."

"Dirty?" Nathan was definitely intrigued.

Haley nodded. "Meet me at my house as soon as you can. We have a busy day ahead of us." Haley didn't want to say anything else and make it more awkward, so she turned around. "See you soon," she added as she walked away.

Nathan stood watching Haley and didn't notice his brother, Peyton, and Brooke come up behind him.

"Really, Nate? Boy Toy? I could have done without seeing that for my entire life," Lucas told him.

Nathan turned to face them all, still smiling from his encounter with Haley.

"Guessing from the stupid grin on your face, you know who bought you," Peyton observed. Nathan just nodded his head.

"I have to go to her house now."

"Any idea what you'll be doing, Boy Toy?" Brooke loved giving people nicknames and was overjoyed to finally have one for Nathan.

"Don't call me that, Brooke," he pleaded.

"You only have yourself to blame."

"I don't know what we're doing. Any thoughts?"

Peyton and Brooke both shook their heads but Nathan couldn't help but notice how amused they both looked.

Nathan looked at them both questioningly, "I'd better go. I'll talk to you later, Lucas."

* * *

Nathan found Haley in her garage in an old pair of jeans, a gray t-shirt, and a pair of sneakers when he got there. She told him to wear something he could get dirty in so he too was in jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers.

"Hi," he said, startling her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.

"Oh, it's fine," she walked toward him.

"So, what are we doing today?"

Haley motioned toward the mess in the garage. "I bought some storage shelves for the garage and I need some help putting them together. I was going to get Lucas or Julian to help out, but then you were for sale, so I thought…" She was smiling.

"At your service, ma'am."

They began working in a comfortable routine. After going through the directions, they began assembling the shelves. Nathan warned Haley that he wasn't very good with tools, but they were both finding it easier than they expected.

"Hey, where's Sam?"

"Oh, Andre's mom took them to the zoo. He'll be back in a few hours."

"Oh, that sounds like it's fun."

"I hope so. They took Chuck with them and he can be a handful."

"Like his mom," Nathan winced. It was over a month ago but he still remembered Mrs. Scolnik.

Haley laughed. "She asked me about you the other day when I was picking Sam up from pre-school."

"Wonderful."

"We'll just keep you away from her. Don't worry, Scott, I'll protect you."

"Thanks a lot."

They finished with the shelves sooner than Haley anticipated and Nathan had begun helping Haley put things away, getting her garage clear so her car would fit in there again. That task actually took longer than putting the shelves together, but the two enjoyed the light conversation going on between them throughout the afternoon. By the time Haley announced they were finished, it was about an hour before Sam was supposed to come home.

"Thanks for helping out," she said.

"I would have done it even if you hadn't paid," Nathan told her.

Haley nodded. She knew that was true. If there was one thing she'd learned about Nathan Scott over the past few months it was that he was always ready to help. That wasn't the only thing she'd learned about him, though. Everything she learned just made her like him more. Today was the longest period of time that they'd had together by themselves and Haley didn't want it to end.

"Do you want to order a pizza? I don't know how your diet goes during the season, if you want something healthier we could do that."

"No, a pizza is fine. I can't believe it's already November," Nathan said as they walked into the house. "It feels like last season just ended."

Haley ordered the pizza and got Nathan and her bottles of water before they sat in the living room, waiting for the food.

"When did you realize you wanted basketball to be your life?"

Nathan thought for a minute before answering. He'd been asked the question several times before, usually by journalists. "I think I always knew," he said. "But I didn't realize I knew it until I got to college." He was silent for a moment. "I almost quit," he admitted to her. He had only ever admitted that to one other person.

"Why?" Haley turned to face him on the sofa, her arm propping her head up and leaning on the back cushions.

Nathan sighed before answering. "My dad put a basketball in my hands the minute I was old enough to hold one. By the time I started on my first team he had me running drills, trying to perfect my game. See, he played his whole life and his knee blew out in college and then it was all gone. He wasn't going to let the same thing happen to me."

"What if you didn't like playing? What would have done?"

Nathan didn't even have to think before answering. "Made me play anyway. There was a long time that I didn't realize I loved it. I was stressed, having Dan on my back. Even if I had a great game, even if we won by over twenty points, he'd still be pointing out what I did wrong instead of what I did right. But then I'd get out there on a court and I could just be in the game and play it and love it. I knew every single part of that court during high school. Those times when I was playing and my dad wasn't breathing down my neck, that's when I loved the game the most."

"What made you want to quit?"

Nathan ran his hand through his short hair. "Um. After Dan went to prison. I thought that if he wasn't there then maybe I didn't have to play anymore. Maybe I could just relax."

"What changed?" Haley hadn't noticed but she had scooted closer to Nathan and he was now facing her.

"Lucas."

"Really? He told me once when I saw him that you two had gotten closer when Dan went to prison. He never said what happened."

"I was walking through town one night and I ended up at the River Court. I never played there, my dad thought it wasn't good enough. Lucas and his friends loved it. They knew that court the way I knew the court at school. That's the first time we really started talking. We started getting to know each other. I didn't have to play since our season was over but I was all set to go play at Duke in the fall. I told Lucas I was thinking of not going. I don't even know what made me tell him that. It just felt good to get it out."

"What happened?"

Nathan smirked. "He challenged me to a game of one on one. When it was over he pointed out that we'd stopped keeping score and just played for fun. He told me if I could try playing without Dan influencing me then maybe I could remember why I love the game. So, I gave it a try. He was right, but don't tell him I said that."

Haley laughed. She also felt like Nathan had just revealed something very personal about himself. When they became friends, against her better judgment, she looked him up online and nothing she read said anything about him considering quitting. He definitely didn't mention his dad much in any interviews she came across.

The pizza arrived and the two of them were camped out on the floor of the living room enjoying the food. They were sitting across from each other, cross-legged.

"Did you always know you wanted to be a singer?"

Haley finished chewing the bite in her mouth while shaking her head. "Well, yes and no. I always loved music. My parents had a piano in our house and no one knew how to play it. An aunt left it to them and they never bothered learning and none of my brothers and sisters showed any interest. When I was about Sam's age, I went and sat on the bench and started hitting the keys. My parents said that after weeks of me just hitting the keys they had to get me lessons so they could hear actual music instead of just the noise I was making." Nathan laughed.

"I loved the piano lessons. I loved being able to play. I was in a music store once with Brooke and Peyton when we were about eleven. I was buying sheet music and Peyton was getting some records. I noticed a guitar in the corner and went to look at it. This woman in the store asked me if I knew how to play. She said that if I wanted, she was giving lessons. So, my parents gave her a call and I started taking guitar lessons.

"Ronna, my guitar teacher, she was the one who realized I could sing. I didn't even realize I was doing it, but while tuning the guitar one day I was singing softly. She told me to sing louder. Next thing I knew, I was singing."

"And that's when you knew you wanted to do it professionally?"

"Kind of. Not really, though. I didn't think it was good enough. Mostly, it was just a fantasy. Like, you think you might want to go to Mars someday on vacation, but you know it's not possible. I always loved school and learning and I loved helping people learn. So, I majored in English and I was all set to be a teacher. But, my senior year of college I got pregnant. I started writing songs. I had written a few in high school, but nothing serious. Being pregnant, I just had a lot of things to say. I was going through a lot.

"One night, Peyton's act canceled on her at the club she worked at. I was a few months pregnant. I did not feel like going in there to begin with. But Peyton needed my help. So, I got up on stage, I played a few songs and everyone seemed to like them. Peyton started asking if I'd written any other songs. She and Brooke encouraged me to record them. I didn't take much convincing, though. I liked the feeling of being up on stage. I liked performing my music. I thought, if I could do this, if I could make a living doing something I loved so much and thought was only a fantasy, then that would be pretty good. It would be great. And, if it didn't work out, I could teach. Both were things that I loved."

"I can't believe you didn't think you were good enough."

Haley shrugged, "It just didn't occur to me that I could be great at this." Haley smiled, remembering. "After that first performance Sam started kicking like crazy. I'd been singing and playing for him already and he just seemed to like it so much. I wasn't even sure if I was going to be raising him at that point, but I loved that my music could do that for him."

"You didn't know you were going to raise him? I can't imagine you not being Sam's mom."

"Neither can I. But, I was nineteen when I got pregnant, twenty when I had him. I had him just at the beginning of senior year. I wasn't sure if I could finish my senior year raising a baby. I knew I wouldn't be doing it alone, but I was young. I didn't know if I could do it."

"What made you decide to do it?"

"I fell in love with him and I couldn't imagine anyone else raising him. I'm lucky, though. I knew I'd have Brooke and Peyton with me through everything. We were living together already. They were with me through everything even before I made the decision to raise him. They were each holding a hand when I was giving birth. Peyton cut the umbilical cord and even Brooke got up for three a.m. feedings."

"You know, I believe that. She and Peyton, they seem to love Sam like their own."

Haley nodded. "I couldn't have asked for better best friends. They've always been great, we've always been there for each other and been inseparable. But they really came though when I needed them most. They're family."

"It's great you have that with them. The one I'm closest to is Lucas and that didn't even start until we were almost adults."

"But you have it now. He used to tell me how you two didn't get along. I'm so glad you two have each other now. I remember when he told me you were getting along, he looked so proud."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Nathan finished the slice of pizza he was eating and wiped his hands on a paper towel. "Are you working now?"

"I just finished songs for Julian's movie. He's actually using both I wrote. I'm planning the next album but it's only in the planning stages right now. It'll be more than a year before I get anything out."

"Are you always writing?"

"Yeah, I am. Even if I don't realize it. I have notebooks upstairs with little pieces of lyrics and notes that haven't been finished. They might never been finished, but they're there if I go back to them."

"Do you tour?"

"I do. It's a little more difficult now that Sam is getting older, though. When he was younger we could take him with us and Peyton would watch him while I was performing. When he gets older I'm only going to tour when he's on summer break from school. I won't interrupt his life. I do local shows sometimes. At smaller places like the House of Blues and the Roxy and the El Rey. I like the smaller shows, anyway. You get some good crowds and I can sleep in my own bed at night."

"Anything coming up?"

"Peyton and I were thinking of doing a Christmas show, actually."

"I'd go to that," Nathan said.

"You'll be on the guest list." Haley took a drink from her water. "How are you feeling about this season?"

"Good. I think we're prepared. We're working really well as a team. I'm pretty pumped for this first game." Nathan paused. "You know, if you and Sam wanted, you could come to a game sometime this season."

Haley thought for a moment and smiled. "We'd both like that."

"Great. Just let me know when."

"I will. He's been asking if he can stay up and watch your first game."

"Too late for him?"

"A little bit. He can watch some of it. It's a good thing you've been explaining some of the rules, because I have no idea what's going on."

"You'll get the hang of it," Nathan told her as the front door opened and Sam came running in.

"I'm home, mommy!" Sam ran to his mom and gave her a hug. Haley hugged him back and closed her eyes. It was something she always did whenever Sam came home after being with someone else. She closed her eyes and breathed in, taking in everything about her son.

"Did you have a good time?"

"We saw giraffes!"

"Were they as tall as Nathan?"

Sam turned and noticed Nathan there. "Hi, Nathan!"

"Haley, I've got to get Andre and Chuck home. Sam was great today, he had a lot of fun," Mrs. Fields said, turning to go.

"Thanks for taking them. I'm glad he wasn't any trouble."

"He never is."

Haley got up and walked the other woman to the door. She waved as she turned and left.

Nathan spent a little bit more time with Sam and Haley before he left. He had an early practice in the morning and needed his sleep. Haley closed the door behind him and stood in her living room, looking down at the spot on the floor where she and Nathan had sat talking. She had a great day. She'd gotten a lot accomplished and more than that, she got to spend hours talking to Nathan. They started out talking about trivial things, but then they talked and really got to know each other. Sure, they were talking about their jobs, but both of them were able to have jobs doing something they loved, which made it very personal.

Haley found herself wondering when she'd be able to see Nathan again and looking forward to watching him play that first game. Even more, she was looking forward to taking him up on his offer of getting her and Sam tickets to a game.

* * *

**Note:** Thank you for the reviews everyone! I hope to have the next chapter up soon, I have a good idea of how I want to write it.


	9. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of it. I'm just borrowing from Mark, Joe, and the rest of the people who own One Tree Hill.

**Note:** Good news, you finally find out the Renee story here. I think what's more important is Nathan's reaction to what happened to Renee. Also, I won't be able to update for another week so I hope this chapter is enough to hold you over. Again, I'm so touched by your reviews so thank you!

* * *

Haley looked behind her, making sure that no one was following her. Her scarf billowed as the Santa Ana winds overtook almost all of Southern California. It was the one form of weather that Haley hated out west. Then again, she hadn't been that fond of the humidity in North Carolina either. She pulled her purse up on her shoulder a bit higher as she entered the building, once again checking that no one was behind her.

Once she was behind the discreet looking wooden door, Haley removed her sunglasses. She smiled politely and nodded at the woman behind the reception desk. She looked at her watch and began walking a few feet into a larger room with double doors. The floors were carpeted in a drab gray blend and the walls were a stark white. Sitting in a circle were about a dozen plastic chairs, the kind you find in elementary schools. Haley walked over to a table against the wall where an assortment of cookies sat and a coffee pot. She poured herself a cup of coffee and took a seat in one of the empty chairs. She got there just in time. There were about six other women there and Haley offered them a shy smile as she set her purse on the floor.

A middle-aged woman in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt entered and took her own seat. She smiled enthusiastically at the women surrounding her.

"Small turnout today," she observed. "Well, I see mostly repeat visitors. Two new people. What those of you know who have been here is that this is a support group for women who have been the victims of sexual assault. We allow a safe place for you to speak and to just listen, if that's what you need. As always, nothing said in this room leaves this room. We're all in here because we know we can trust each other and we have nothing to worry about or fear. So, who would like to go first?"

The room was silent. This happened whenever Haley came to these meetings. People were always reluctant to go first. Haley had been coming to these meetings for several years now. She tried coming on a regular basis and the counselors knew her well. Some of the other women were star struck at first and confused when they first saw her. They all understood, though, that this was a place to get help.

Haley bit her lip and held her coffee cup in her lap, both hands around the small, Styrofoam cup. "I'll go."

"Thank you, Haley," the counselor said. "Why don't you start with introducing yourself to our new friends."

Haley smiled and was about to speak when she was interrupted by one of the new additions to the group. "Like we don't know who she is? Everyone in this country knows who Haley James is."

Haley blushed and looked down nervously.

"What's your name?" The counselor was trying to get things back in order.

"Tamara," the girl said quietly.

"Tamara, we may recognize people, but it's important to remember we're all here for the same reason. When one of us talks, it's up to the rest of us to listen."

"I'm sorry," Tamara said.

"It's fine," Haley told her. "Well, I'm Haley. I, uh," she always stuttered a little when she had to say the next part. "I was raped nearly five years ago. It'll be five years next month. The thing is, I've tried really hard to get over what happened to me. Or get past it, actually. I had to for the sake of my son. Everything I've done since I was raped has been so I could be a good mother to him. I haven't really done anything for myself. My career, I guess, but what really motivated me for that was my son.

"Now, though, there's this guy and I know he's interested, or at least he was. I tried not to be interested, but I am. I told him I couldn't get involved with him and that he didn't want me. He finally stopped asking me out, but his brother is dating one of my best friends. So, now we're friends. We've become really good friends and I like him a lot.

"I haven't dated much in the past five years. In fact, I can count the number of dates I've had on one hand. I told him not to ask me out again, but the more I get to know him, the more I like him and want him to ask me again. I want to try a relationship with him, but I don't feel like I'm enough for him. I don't think I can be what he should have. My one and only experience with sex was violent and it hurt and it changed everything about my life. It's just, the more I get to know him, the more I want to at least try and be enough for him. He's a great guy. He's sweet and he's kind and he's funny and he gets along with my son. I just, I want to try and be enough for him." Haley sat back in her seat, having finished saying what she needed to say. She took another sip from her coffee, wondering if anyone would respond.

"Haley, I think that it's a good sign that you want to try with this man," Viv, the counselor, told her. "I know how focused you've been on your son, everyone here who knows you know that. But I think the fact that this has been weighing so heavily on your mind means that you really do want this. So, I think you should really go for it. If it doesn't work out, at least you'll know." The group all nodded and voiced their encouragement. Haley crossed her ankles and began fiddling with the ring on her pinky.

"I'll think about it," she said.

"Okay," Viv announced. "Anyone else?"

The meeting went on a little longer. Haley always felt more comfortable listening to everyone else's issues rather than voicing her own. When she was listening she felt like she was doing something to help. She knew firsthand just how much it could help to have someone listening to you who knew what was going on. Whenever she left a meeting Haley always felt a sense of calm.

* * *

She picked up Sam from pre-school and decided to take him out to eat. They didn't go often because Haley liked cooking a normal meal for Sam. Occasionally, though, the two liked going out. Throughout the entire meal, Haley's mind was on what had been said during her counseling group. Everyone was telling her to take a chance and go out with Nathan. Her resolve was nearly non-existent at this point. The problem was now that she was prepared to agree to a date with Nathan, he wasn't asking.

After dinner Haley needed to stop by the office to pick up some demos that Peyton had left for her. She wanted to listen to them at home. She walked into the office and Sam immediately went to sit in the chair behind her desk. As Haley was gathering her things, she noticed Mia in the recording studio, playing the piano. Haley walked in, Sam following closely behind her.

"Try holding that note longer," Haley suggested. Mia did what Haley said and smiled, pleased with the result.

"This is why you rock at this job."

Haley smiled and shook her head. "You're doing the writing, Mia."

"I'm done for today, actually," Mia announced, standing to leave. "Have a good night, Haley. You too, Sam."

"Bye, Mia," Sam shouted. As Mia left, Sam turned to his mother. "Play something, mommy."

"Play something? What do you want to hear?" Haley sat on the piano bench and Sam scooted next to her. "How about we try teaching you a little more? You want to?"

Sam nodded. The two began playing, Haley patiently instructing her son on which keys to hit. They didn't notice that someone was watching them from the doorway until they stopped and Haley looked up.

"Hey, I didn't know you were here." She was happy to see him. He looked so handsome standing there in jeans and a light blue button down shirt, that smirk plastered to his face that she'd come to associate with him.

"Brooke scheduled an interview. Apparently I'm B. Davis Magazine's Man of the Month," he informed her.

"Hey Nathan!" Sam got up and ran to the taller man and stuck his fist out, waiting for Nathan to bump it with his own fist. Nathan obliged and smiled.

"Your piano playing is sounding better, buddy."

"Thanks!"

Nathan stepped away from the door and didn't notice it closing behind him.

"Nathan, grab the door," Haley quickly told him, trying to get him to catch it before it closed. She didn't make it and the door closed with a click. Haley put her head in her hand and sighed, walking to the door.

"What's wrong?" Nathan followed her. Haley tried opening the door, finding that it wouldn't move.

"The door has been sticking. We've been trying to not have it closed when no one is in the other room so we don't get locked in," Haley explained.

"Let me try," Nathan offered. He went to the door and began pulling on it and turning the knob. "It's stuck."

Haley laughed without any amusement. "We're stuck. You do realize no one else is here on this floor, right? The only people working are Brooke's people. And they can't hear us in here."

"Well, if we bang on the window?"

Haley shook her head. "Sound proof room."

"Well, I could break the window with the bench?"

Haley shook her head again. "We have a band coming in to record tomorrow after the repairman fixes the door."

"You're getting the door fixed tomorrow?"

"I know. Great timing, right?"

"So, we're stuck in here?"

Haley nodded. "At least until Mrs. Glass comes in."

"Who's Mrs. Glass?"

"Her company cleans the offices at night. She'll be by in," Haley looked down at her wrist. "About seven and a half hour."

Nathan put his hands in his pockets and realized something. "My phone is in my car charging."

Haley checked her own pockets. "And mine is sitting on my desk."

"Mommy, what's going on?"

Haley knelt in front of her son. "Well, sweetie, the door is broken. So, we're going to have to stay in here until Mrs. Glass comes to clean it. Remember Mrs. Glass?"

Sam nodded.

"You're not afraid, are you?"

"No."

"Good, cause I'm here and Nathan is here. It'll be like having a sleepover." Sam's eyes brightened at the thought of a sleep over. "Which means it's time to go to sleep, Sam."

"Do I have to?"

"It's your bedtime, kiddo."

"I want to stay up a little longer."

Haley laughed. "I know, honey. I know. You've got to go to sleep, though. I know you're tired. You have a big day. You went to school, we went out to eat."

Sam yawned, "I'm not tired."

Haley laughed again. "Come on and lay on the sofa and I'll sing you to sleep." Haley picked Sam up before he could protest even more and set him down on the sofa, putting the small throw pillow under his head. He yawned again and Haley began singing softly. Not long after, Sam was soundly asleep, cuddled into the sofa.

Haley got up and nodded her head to the chairs on the other side of the room, indicated for Nathan to come with her. They settled into the armchairs, Haley closing her eyes and crossing her legs.

"Does he always go to sleep that quickly when you sing?"

Haley nodded, smiling but not yet opening her eyes.

"I'm sorry about the door."

Haley opened her eyes and looked at him. "It's fine. It'll just be a funny story to tell. You don't need to be anywhere, do you?"

"Nah. No chance of any of the B. Davis employees coming up here?"

"Nope. A lot of them tend to avoid the Red Bedroom floor."

Nathan looked at Haley, confused. "Why would they do that?"

"I think they feel like they're intruding. Brooke's up here all the time, Peyton and I go down there. I think since it's mostly just Peyton and me, and sometimes Millie, they don't feel like they belong up here."

"I like it better here than there," Nathan told her.

"Thanks."

"I mean it. This place is great. It's like you and Peyton are all over it. If that makes any sense."

"It does. It's exactly what we wanted, too."

Nathan looked back over to where Sam was sleeping and then back at his mother. Haley was also watching Sam and Nathan felt like he was intruding, watching her watch her son with such love clearly evident on her face. She continued watching him and he continued watching her. He wanted to keep talking to her, but he also didn't want to disturb her.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" Haley broke him from his reverie.

She had noticed him staring at her and it unnerved her. It wasn't the first time she'd noticed it. It may have unnerved her, but it was also exhilarating. One look from him was all it took for the butterflies to start fluttering in her stomach again.

Nathan was embarrassed that he'd been caught. It wasn't the first time and the way things had been going, he was sure it wasn't the last time. He was trying to give her some space, but as he spent more time with her he was falling deeper and deeper. He was thinking of asking her on a date again, but he wasn't sure how she would react. He was wrong when he thought that he didn't want her friendship because he wanted more. Now he didn't want to ruin their friendship by trying to bring it to another level. He was sure of himself when he asked her out nearly five years ago and he was sure of himself when he asked her in August. Now, though, his confidence wasn't where it had been.

"No, I'm sorry." He finally found his voice. "I was just watching you watching him."

"Oh, yeah. I do that a lot."

"I get it. I think. I mean, not really. But, the two of you, it's just nice."

Haley blushed. "Thanks." She looked at Nathan. She never really had seen eyes quite as blue as his. If she let herself, she could easily get lost in them. She had to find something to talk about to distract herself. "Did you ever think about having kids?"

Nathan winced, reminded of what happened nearly a year ago now. He hadn't talked about it and the only one who knew the entire story was Lucas. He felt like he had to be open with Haley, and he wanted to. He never wanted anyone to trust him like he wanted Haley to trust him. If she trusted him, maybe she'd give him a chance to be more than her friend.

"I never thought about it." He hesitated before continuing. "But then I had do."

Haley didn't want to pry, but she was curious and he did seem to want to talk.

"Had to?"

Nathan looked down at his hands and wiped his palms on his knees.

"You don't have to answer. It's none of my business," Haley offered, trying to give him an easy out.

"No, I brought it up. It's just, Lucas is really the only one who knows what happened."

"Nathan, you really don't have to talk about it."

He thought for a moment. She was being really considerate. He could easily just drop the subject and move onto something more trivial.

"There was this woman. Her name was Renee Richardson. About a year ago she came to me and she said that… well, she said she was pregnant. She said it was mine." Nathan looked at Haley, trying to tell her reaction. When she didn't look horrified, he continued. "She said that she would keep it quiet if we paid her $250,000. We um, we didn't pay her. We told her that we'd help her with her medical bills but as soon as we could, we'd get a paternity test. Then we'd go from there.

"She got further into the pregnancy. We did that test with the needle where the take the fluid."

"Amniocentesis," Haley offered.

"Thanks. We did that and we did the DNA test and the baby wasn't mine. I think the reason she didn't go tell the media was that she knew it wasn't mine. At least, that's what I tell myself."

"Did you want that baby to be yours?" Haley knew that it wasn't her business, but a part of her just wanted to know.

"I don't know how to answer that. I mean, no because that's not how that kind of thing should be. But, I had to think about being a father and I started liking the idea. I started thinking that maybe I could be good at it. At least better than my dad.

"But it's not supposed to happen like that. What bothers me the most about the whole situation is that, well, it could have been mine. I haven't been really good about keeping track of who I'm with." Nathan had been looking at Haley while he was talking, but now he looked down at his hands as he continued. "I'm really not proud of it and I've changed since then. My dad was always telling me to be careful with girls. Especially after what happened with Lucas. He always used to tell me to use protection. I've been really good about it, but sometimes I've had too much to drink and I don't know. That's the worst thing. That I could have been so stupid that it could have been possible. How do you tell a kid that they were conceived and you didn't even know each other's name? I don't even know if I actually slept with this woman but I know it's possible. I probably did.

"Anyway, after we found out the baby wasn't mine, I started thinking a lot. I started going out a lot less. I really don't go to parties at all now. I was already getting tired of it. It gets old, night after night. But that's when Lucas and Peyton started going out and I saw how happy he was. I kind of started thinking that maybe it was time for me to get serious. Maybe I should start looking for an actual relationship. Still haven't tried it, but. I just, when the time comes that I do have a kid I want it to be with someone I'm actually with. Someone whose name I know. But not just her name, but who she is."

Haley looked at Nathan as he finished his story. He was now tossing imaginary lint on his pants onto the floor. "I wasn't a very good guy and I'm sorry about that," he added, speaking even more softly than he had been before.

Haley looked at him not with pity or disgust but with respect. He'd taken responsibility for a situation and had come out of it more mature and stronger as far as she could tell. The Nathan Scott she'd gotten to know in the past few months wasn't someone who would get some random girl pregnant. He was right, too. When people conceive a child they should know each other's names. They should know something about each other.

"That's not the worst part," Haley said softly, her chin resting on her fist. She was facing Nathan almost completely. "The worst part is that a woman would try and use her child to extort money from you. That's the worst part." She leaned over and took his hand in hers. They both felt the spark the minute their hands touched. "I know you're not proud of what happened, but Nathan, that isn't the man I've gotten to know in the past few months. The man I've gotten to know is someone I'm glad to have as a friend. The way I see it, you made the best of the situation. You've turned it into something positive. You've matured."

Nathan was even more embarrassed now. He'd told her his experience. He wished it had never happened because someone who that happened to wasn't someone who deserved Haley James. But now she was telling him how happy she was that he was her friend? He would have never expected that response.

"For what it's worth, Nathan, I think when the time does come that you become a father that you're going to be a great one. I see you with Sam and he's just taken to you so well. Your patient with him and that's what a lot of parenting is. You're going to be fine."

"Thanks, Haley." Nathan finally looked up at her. They both smiled at each other, but wondering if the other was aware of how close they were becoming and how deep their feelings for each other were getting. "You know, considering we're stuck here, this isn't so bad."

"Luckily the company is good." Haley looked at her watch. "Mrs. Glass should be here in a few hours."

"I can't believe we've been talking this long."

Haley bit down on her lip. "I like these conversations we've been having." Since Haley bought Nathan at the auction they'd been spending more time with just the two of them. They probably knew a lot more about each other from those in depth conversations than a lot of couples who had been together for years knew about each other. Haley also felt a sense of satisfaction that Nathan had trusted her to tell her something about himself that he really wasn't proud of.

Haley thought back to earlier in the day and the group counseling session she'd been to. She thought about the encouragement that she'd gotten from the other women about possibly pursuing a relationship with Nathan. As she was walking out a few people again encouraged her to go for it and go out with Nathan.

Haley was so busy thinking that she didn't realize at first that someone was gently tapping her shoulder.

"Ms. James," the woman whispered. "Ms. James, it's early in the morning. What are you doing here?"

Haley yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Mrs. Glass?" Haley looked at her watch. She didn't even realize she'd fallen asleep. She looked over at Sam, who was still sound asleep. She looked over at Nathan and saw that he was also asleep. She stood up. "The door," Haley pointed at it. "We got locked in."

Mrs. Glass nodded in understanding. "It's supposed to be fixed today, right?"

"Yeah. We'll get out of your way so you can work."

Haley gently tapped Nathan on the shoulder, waking him up. "Nathan, it's time to go. We're free."

"Did I fall asleep?"

"We all did."

Nathan stood up and stretched as Haley walked toward Sam. "I'll get him," Nathan offered.

"I was going to try and not wake him up," Haley said.

"I can get him." Nathan gently picked Sam up, the boy never opening his eyes. Nathan and Haley both thanked Mrs. Glass as they walked out. Nathan walked Haley and Sam to her car, gently setting the boy into his car seat. Haley got him settled in and gently closed the door and faced Nathan.

She looked at him and noticed that even when he had just woken up he looked handsome. His hair was slightly mussed with sleep. His shirt was wrinkled and his hands went to his pockets. Haley decided that this was it. She had turned him down so many times; she was going to have to make the next move.

"Nathan, do you want to go out with me?"

Nathan stood there staring at the woman in front of him. He briefly wondered if he might still be asleep. She had turned him down before and now she was the one asking if he wanted to go out.

"On a date," Haley added.

Nathan felt like he had cotton in his mouth. He was unable to form words.

Haley, on the other hand, began feeling sick. She shouldn't have done this. She shouldn't have risked their friendship. Now things would be awkward between them and they might never get back to where they were before.

"You know, nevermind. It was a bad idea. Forget I ever asked." Haley turned to open her car door.

"No!" Nathan was quick to respond. He'd found his voice again after losing it for the second time in less than twenty-four hours. "I mean, yes. I would like to go out with you. On a date. I would like that a lot."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I'll call you later today so we can make plans?"

"That sounds perfect."

"Okay. Drive safe," Nathan said, holding her car door open for her. He closed it once she was safely inside and waved as she drove away.

Nathan turned to his own car. He had a smile on his face. The smile didn't leave his face the entire drive home.

* * *

**Note:** I hope I wrote her counseling session well enough. I've never actually been to one, so I just went on instinct. I'll try and update by June 28th, but we'll see how it goes. Thanks again for reading and for the reviews! :)


	10. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of it, it all belongs the Schwahn and company.

**Note:** Over ninety reviews? You guys are amazing. I'm sorry I couldn't update this sooner but I'll try and get another one in before the end of the week. I also have a oneshot in mind I might want to try, so we'll see what happens. Thanks again for all the support and I hope you like this chapter.

* * *

Nathan drummed his fingers on the smooth surface of the kitchen table. He had his chin resting in the palm of his hand. His gaze went from his phone to the clock on the wall. He didn't want to seem pushy. He didn't want to seem overeager. But he really wanted to call Haley. He'd watched Haley and Sam drive off hours ago. Once he'd gotten home he took a short nap before heading off to practice. Practices were getting intense as the Lakers prepared for their first game of the season in two days. That meant that Nathan had tonight or the next night to take Haley out before his schedule got busy with games. Right after the first home game, the team was headed on the road. With that in mind, Nathan picked up his phone and called Haley. As the phone rang, he began drumming his fingers on the table even more fervently.

"Hi," she said. "I didn't think you'd call so soon."

Nathan grimaced, grateful that she couldn't see how embarrassed he looked.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to be pushy."

"It's okay, Nathan. It's good. I'm looking forward to going out."

Nathan smiled, relieved. "Well, I wanted to see if maybe you were free tonight? Tonight or tomorrow. The night after that I have a game and then we have a road trip."

"I need to find someone to watch Sam, but tonight should be fine."

"Okay, tonight then. I'll pick you up at six?"

"Six. Okay."

"Your place. I know you asked me out, but can I at least plan this?"

Nathan heard Haley laugh on the other end of the phone. "Yeah, that's great."

"Okay. I'll see you at six."

"Wait!"

"Yeah?"

"You're planning this; I don't know what to wear."

"Oh. Right. Well, you'll look fine whatever you wear. You'll look great."

"Well, what are we doing?"

"Just dress casually," he told her.

"You're really not going to tell me?"

"Nope. I'm keeping this a surprise."

"I'm not really a fan of surprises."

"I think you'll like this one. So much that I'll probably get a second date out of it." His confidence was returning. It was amazing the effect Haley asking him on a date was having. One minute he's nervous and the next he's back to being the confident man who knows what to do with a woman. This was different, though. He wasn't completely sure about this particular woman. The one thing always present in his mind was that she was different than anyone else he'd known.

"We'll see about that. I'll see you at six."

Haley ended the call and could feel the blush covering her cheeks. She leaned back in her desk chair and smiled.

"You're blushing and you're smiling," Peyton observed. "What's going on?" Peyton and Brooke walked into the offices of Red Bedroom Records and both took a seat on the sofa.

Haley tried ignoring the butterflies in her stomach. She was excited that Nathan had called so soon. She recalled Brooke being annoyed when they were younger and a guy would take longer than Brooke wanted him to to call her.

"Do either of you have plans tonight?"

"That doesn't answer our question," Brooke pointed out.

"I'm free," Peyton said.

"Do you think you could come over and watch Sam? Around six?"

"You need someone to watch Sam? I can do that," Brooke announced. "You know I love any excuse to hang with my favorite guy."

"Relax, Brooke. We'll both be over by six to watch Sam."

"Thanks," Haley said. "Brooke, can I take a look upstairs in the closet?"

"Of course, you don't even have to ask," Brooke replied flippantly while examining the polish on her nails. She dropped her hand and looked at Haley curiously. "Wait a minute. What do you have planned tonight?"

Haley wasn't embarrassed to answer and she didn't have anything to hide. She just didn't want anyone making a fuss. She knew Brooke and Peyton and they would make a fuss. Specifically, Brooke would make a fuss. However, come six o'clock, they would realize what exactly was going on.

"IhaveadatewithNathan," Haley spit out quickly.

Still sitting on the sofa, Peyton and Brooke looked at each other. Then, without a word, the two quickly got up and went over to Haley. They both threw their arms around their friend, Brooke shrieking loudly.

Brooke began talking right away, not letting anyone else get a word in edgewise. "We'll have to pick out a dress. We should go home right now so we can start getting you ready, I don't need a lot of time but we want to make sure everything is perfect. There's this great satin dress up there that'll go just above your knees and it has this strap that is to die for. Some shoes to match, I have some with these sparkly straps that will go perfectly. I think we should leave your hair down-"

"Brooke!" Haley was smiling but she really wanted Brooke to stop. "Slow down. It's a casual date. I don't need anything fancy. I don't really know where he's taking me but he said it was casual. And Brooke, I love you, but I really want to do this myself."

"Oh. Okay. Well, I still want to come over earlier to just talk. Like you and P. Sawyer did with me when I was getting ready for a date."

"We still do that," Peyton reminded her. "How'd this happen, anyway?"

Haley sighed. "We sort of got locked in the studio last night. Nathan, Sam, and me."

Peyton laughed. "The door?"

"Yeah. It was fixed this morning. Mrs. Glass let us out. After Sam fell asleep Nathan and I just talked. It was really nice. He walked Sam and me to the car and I just did it. I asked him out."

"You asked him out?" Brooke seemed personally offended by this. "Haley, have I taught you nothing? The guy does the asking!"

"Brooke, I've turned him down so many times and told him I just wanted to be friends. He was respecting my wishes and not asking again."

"What made you change your mind?" Brooke took a seat on the top of Haley's desk.

"Spending time with him. Getting to know him. I like him. He's the first guy that I've really liked since the beginning of college." Haley chewed on her lip some more. "I also went to a counseling session earlier yesterday and talked about it."

"I'm really happy for you, Hales," Peyton enthused. "Nervous?"

Haley nodded.

"Well, let's get you ready," Brooke grabbed Haley's hand and dragged her out of her chair and out of the office. "Peyton, grab her purse and phone, we won't be coming back here!"

* * *

Nathan looked at himself in the mirror after buttoning his shirt. Frowning, he unbuttoned it and went to find a different one. This would be the fourth shirt he tried on. Nothing looked right to him. He at least felt confident that he'd planned a nice date for Haley. He wanted to show her a good time and he wanted to show her that he was serious about pursuing a relationship with her. He didn't want to go over the top and overwhelm her. He wanted something quiet and laid back. He thought Haley would like something like that. She wasn't interested in the fancy lifestyle that surrounded them both. He could see that from her home and the way she was raising Sam.

Nathan finally settled on a shirt but left it off as he headed to his backyard. Kneeling at the flower beds, he began picking a batch of the little purple flowers his gardener had planted along the path leading to the pool. Nathan cleaned the soil off of them as best he could. He walked into his house and into the kitchen. He searched one of the drawers and found a rubber band that had been used to secure a pack of asparagus. The asparagus hadn't been his. Lucas had brought it over thinking Nathan needed to eat healthier. Nathan hated the stuff.

He looked around and did a quick inventory to make sure he had everything they'd need. He picked up his things and headed out the door.

* * *

Haley smoothed out her dress and took one last glance in the mirror. She brought her hand to her hair and fluffed it out a little more. He had said casual and she hoped what she was wearing was okay. Her casual dress was blue and she paired it with a navy blue sweater. The weather in Los Angeles was just starting to cool down and there had been a breeze all day.

Haley heard the doorbell ring and grabbed her purse before walking into Sam's room. He was sitting at a small, plastic table drawing.

"Hey, bud."

Sam looked up from his drawing, his legs swinging underneath the table. "Time for dinner with Nathan?"

"Yeah. You'll be a good boy for Aunt Peyton and Aunt Brooke?"

Sam nodded his head.

"Okay, you better be asleep when I get home." Haley kissed Sam on the cheek and hugged him.

"You look pretty, mommy," he said to her as she turned to leave.

Haley faced him once more and smiled, her head cocked to the side. "Thanks, baby."

* * *

"Hey there, Boy Toy," Brooke greeted Nathan when she opened the door. He was standing there in jeans and a gray button down shirt with the top two buttons undone. He wore it casually, not tucking it in. He held in front of him his homemade bouquet of flowers. Brooke looked him up and down and nodded. "Not bad. You look decent. And you brought flowers."

"Please don't call me Boy Toy," Nathan pleaded.

"Well, have her home no later than two, got it?"

"Two?"

"Uh huh. You're a nice guy, Nathan, but I know how you men operate. You have her home by two before Peyton and me start to worry."

"We won't be out that late," Nathan explained. He felt like he was a teenager experiencing an interrogation from his date's father. "Do you do this with every date she has?"

"No," Brooke simply stated. "I just have a feeling about you."

Before Nathan could respond, he noticed in his peripheral vision Haley coming down the stairs. His mouth opened slightly as he watched her. It never failed to amaze him how beautiful she was.

"Close your mouth, Nathan," Brooke whispered.

Nathan did as instructed and swallowed. "You look beautiful, Haley." He was amazed he managed to get the words out.

Haley blushed, smiled, and looked down as she approached the entry to her house. Brooke was standing aside, smiling. She was proud and happy. Haley was going on a date and she did it of her own free will. She hadn't had to be talked into it like the last times Brooke tried setting her up.

"Thank you," Haley said to Nathan. "You look really nice." That was a lie. Haley didn't think he looked nice. She thought he looked perfect. The shirt fit him like a glove. He didn't look like he was showing off, but you could still tell he was in shape.

"These are for you." Nathan awkwardly stuck his hand holding the flowers out toward Haley. "I know they aren't much. But that night of the charity event you were wearing a purple dress. And I have these in my garden and I saw them and they reminded me of that dress. I just thought… Well, I thought you might like them."

Haley smiled broadly. It was so sweet of him to think of a dress she'd worn months ago and get her flowers that color. She had always been partial to smaller flowers. Roses were nice, lilies were beautiful. These just felt special, though.

"They're beautiful. Thank you. I'll put them in some water and then we can go."

"I'll do it," Brooke offered.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, Hales. Go, have fun. Sam will be fine." Brooke was practically pushing the two of them out the door. "Remember what I said! Naley has a two o'clock curfew!" Brooke shut the door before Nathan and Haley could say anything else.

Nathan and Haley walked to his car. "Naley?"

Haley laughed. "Brooke thought that once the press finds out we went on a date that they'd give us some cutesy couples name. She thought she should be the one to coin the term. Brooke gets enthusiastic." Haley didn't want him thinking that she was counting on anything more than one date. She wanted tonight to go well and if it went well, she knew she'd want to go out with Nathan again because she liked him. Haley wasn't someone who dated; she was someone who was in relationships. That's how it had always been before the attack. One of the reasons she had said no to Nathan at first was her reluctance to be in a relationship because she didn't think she was enough. If it was just going to be one or two dates, that would have been a different story.

"Okay, Naley then. She'll have to get that copyrighted or something." Nathan held the door open for Haley and closed it once she climbed in. He got in on the driver's side and turned on the car. "So, I know you like your privacy and I like mine. Since this is so, well, new for us, I thought we'd do something quiet. You know how the press gets. I meet Brooke at a toy store and then rumors start. I don't want to hide anything, I just don't want anyone butting in when it isn't their business."

"No, no, I get it. And thank you for thinking of that."

Nathan was relieved. When he planned this date he was worried she'd think that he didn't want to be seen with her. That was so far from the truth. "Good. Let's get going then."

The made light conversation as Nathan drove them to their destination. They finally came to a residential street and Nathan pulled into the driveway of a small house. Haley recognized it immediately.

"This is Lucas's house."

Nathan shrugged, opening his door and stepping out to get Haley's.

"Yeah, it's Lucas's house. I just wanted us to be able to go somewhere quiet. I thought of the beach, but it's dark already and I thought maybe I could start a fire but I don't know how and it'll draw attention. I hope this is okay. If it helps, Lucas didn't really do anything except give us a place to hang out. I did everything else myself."

Haley hadn't gotten out of the car yet but noticed how nervous Nathan looked.

"I don't want you to think I had other plans, Haley. That's why we're not at my house. I thought if we were there it would look like I wanted, well, you know. I know this is a first date and I want to do this right. So, dinner and good company."

Haley nodded and stepped out of the car, taking the hand Nathan offered. The minute she placed her hand in his, the two looked at each other. Neither had ever had this reaction before to someone. They couldn't stay away, even if they wanted to.

Haley waited on the sidewalk while Nathan was gathering things from the backseat of the car. He produced a picnic basket, a cooler, and a blanket and motioned for Haley to walk toward the front door. Nathan desperately wanted to hold her hand, but with a cooler in one hand and a basket in the other he wasn't able to. He led them through Lucas's house and then to the back of the house. In the backyard several lamps had been lit.

Nathan laid the blanket down on the grass and waited for Haley to sit down. He sat down across from her and began emptying the basket.

"I'm impressed," Haley told him.

"Yeah?" Nathan stopped setting out the dishes and the food and smiled at Haley.

"Yeah. This is really thoughtful, Nathan."

Nathan continued smiling as he laid the food out. "Now, I didn't cook any of it. I figured it would be better not to make you sick on our first date."

Haley laughed. "You still planned it all. I mean it, Nathan. This is really nice."

The two began eating and talking. Nathan was right. Their date consisted of dinner and good company. It wasn't much different than the times they had hung out before. In fact, they'd spent so much time talking to each other about important aspects of their lives that this wasn't much different. For both, it felt like they'd been doing this for a long time.

"You have a scar. Under your left eye," Nathan noticed.

Haley sat back a little, somewhat unnerved by the fact that he'd been looking so closely and noticed. Even with all the photos taken of her and the billboards and posters, not many had noticed the scar.

"How did you get it?"

Haley winced. This was going well, but she wasn't ready to share that much yet. She had no idea when she would be ready for that. This was the first man in her life that she'd wanted to spend time with and get to know in a romantic sense. Telling him about that painful part of her past was an issue she knew they would have if things progressed. Tonight wasn't the night for it, though.

"It's not a good story," Haley finally answered truthfully. The story was terrible.

Nathan could tell from her reaction that she didn't want to talk about it, so he decided not to ask anything else about it. There was something else on his mind, though. "Haley, what made you finally want to go out with me?"

Haley bit her lip and shook her head. She wasn't that comfortable with this question, either. It was better than the last one he asked, though. "You did." Seeing the confusion on his face, Haley continued. "I rejected you and you didn't push, which is what I needed. I don't date a lot since I had Sam. My life has been about raising him. It's the most important thing I will ever do, so I've focused on that. But you just came in and I guess you were right. We met again after all this time, so much has changed in our lives, but maybe it's for a reason.

"You became my friend, Nathan. I just don't think there are many men in the world who would do that after being rejected. The better friends we became, the more I realized that I liked you. I realized that I wished you would ask me out again. I said no so many times, though, that I knew you had no reason to ask again. So, I decided to ask you myself.

"Brooke had set me up a couple of times. You're the first man I've ever wanted to go out with without any prompting. Well, Brooke and Peyton encouraged it. But when I told them to stop, they did. Then you and I became friends and I just wanted to do something for myself."

"Haley, I've been wanting to ask you out again every single time we've hung out. Every time. I'm glad you asked me. I don't think I had the balls to do it. I just didn't want to chance it and lose your friendship. You're the first woman I've ever been friends with."

Haley tried controlling the butterflies in her stomach. He couldn't have said anything better to her. The fact that he didn't just want to date her, but that he valued her friendship, reaffirmed Haley's belief that this date was a good idea. "I guess this is a pretty great first date, then."

"Great first date, huh?"

"Control that ego of yours, Nathan," Haley teased.

"Hey, you said it was great! Does this mean I get a second date?"

"That depends. Is there dessert?"

Nathan smirked. "As a matter of fact there is." Nathan reached into the cooler and pulled out two cups of ice cream. Reaching into the basket, he also pulled out a box of Cracker Jacks.

"Cracker Jacks?"

Nathan shrugged. "I've always liked them."

"Why don't you put some of those on top of the ice cream," Haley suggested.

Nathan opened the box and reached in. He pulled out a brightly colored plastic bracelet. Looking down at it, he smirked again. Grabbing Haley's hand, he slipped the bracelet onto her wrist. "Don't say I never gave you anything."

* * *

Nathan drove Haley home. Both were smiling the entire way there. He walked her to her door and the two stopped while Haley got her keys out.

"I'm really glad we did this, Nathan. I'm sorry for making us wait so long for it."

"Don't worry about it, Haley. It finally happened and it was great. Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, that would be great."

"And I get a second date?"

"You definitely get a second date."

Nathan and Haley stood looking at each other, neither quite sure what to do. Normally, if Nathan had to take a girl out it was with one goal in mind and by now they'd be inside with most of their clothes off. He wasn't sure how to proceed with Haley. He didn't have to decide though. Haley leaned in and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him. They'd never hugged before. Nathan only ever really hugged his mother. He liked this though. He liked being this close to Haley and feeling her in his arms. He was reluctant to let go.

When they did finally step apart, they didn't fully let go of each other. As they had countless times throughout the night, they just looked at each other. Haley brought her gaze down to his lips. Part of her hoped he would kiss her, but another part of her thought it might be better to not take that step quite yet. She was surprised, though, when Nathan leaned in and placed a small kiss on her cheek before taking a step back. " I'll call you tomorrow."

Haley managed a nod before turning and opening her front door. She gave Nathan a smile as she closed the door. She turned around and faced the inside of her house and brought her hand to her cheek. She walked down the hall and into the living room where she found Brooke and Peyton on the sofa. The TV was on, but they clearly weren't paying attention to it. They were looking in Haley's direction and both looked curious.

"Well? How was it?" Brooke got up.

Haley smiled and brought her finger to her lips, indicating for Brooke to keep her voice down.

"He's fast asleep. Now, spill."

"Haley, you know we're not leaving until you tell us something," Peyton informed her. "How was it?"

Haley's smile was wide. "It was great."

Brooke tried to keep quiet and began jumping and flailing her hands. She made her way to Haley and hugged her.

Peyton remained seated on the sofa. Brooke's reaction was big enough for two people. "Is there going to be a second date?"

Haley nodded. "I'm going to check on Sam."

Haley walked up the stairs and made her way to Sam's room, fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist. She hadn't stopped smiling since she got home.

* * *

**Note:** I hope their first date lived up to your expectations. If it didn't, just keep in mind that it's not the most vital moment in their relationship. There's more to come. Thank you for reading!


	11. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own any of it.

**Note:** I'm so impressed with all of you. I'd never imagined we'd get past one hundred reviews! Really, thank you so much and keep them coming!

* * *

Nathan woke up bright and early. He'd had to wake up bright and early several times before, but he'd never done it with a smile on his face. He didn't think he'd stopped smiling since dropping Haley off the night before. He smiled all through practice, getting ribbed from his teammates the entire time. He didn't care. Practice went great. He did everything his coach told him to do and he did it perfectly. Slinging his duffel bag over his shoulder, he took his phone from his pocket and dialed Haley's number as he walked to his car. He wasn't worried about seeming too eager this time. He told Haley he would call today and that's what he was doing.

Haley picked up the phone on its second ring. She was just as excited to hear from Nathan as he was to call her.

"I had a great time last night," was the first thing he said.

"I did too. What are you up to today?"

"Just got out of practice. Getting ready for tomorrow. Basically just gonna relax for the rest of the day. What about you?"

"I just had lunch with Peyton and Brooke. We've been working all morning. I'm picking Sam up from pre-school in about an hour."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." The two were silent for several seconds. Haley debated whether or not she should ask. This probably wasn't what he had in mind for a second date. She decided to ask anyway. "Listen, I know this probably isn't what you were thinking when we decided on a second date, but did you want to come with me to get him? We were just going to eat dinner and watch a movie today. It'll probably be Cars."

"Cars, huh? That's Disney, right?" Nathan hadn't watched an animated movie since he was a kid.

"Yeah. If you don't want to come don't worry about it. It's a pretty low key afternoon."

"No, no. I think it'd be nice. I can't really stay late. Big day tomorrow."

"Well, Sam has a seven o'clock bedtime, so that works out."

"I'll come right over?"

"Yeah, meet me at my house, I'm headed there now."

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit."

As Nathan ended his call with Haley another was coming in. He looked at the caller ID before answering.

"Hey, Luke. Thanks for the house last night."

"Yeah, I haven't gotten the chance to talk to you. How'd it go?"

"Great."

"Great? Nathan, normally I can't get you to shut up about girls you go out with. Now all you're saying is great?"

"Haley is different."

"I've been saying that."

"It was great, Lucas. But I can't talk, I'm going to her house now and we're picking up Sam and then we're going to watch Cars."

Lucas was silent for a moment. Nathan couldn't see him, but Lucas had taken the phone away from his ear and was looking at it quizzically.

"Lucas? You still there?"

"You're going to watch Cars?"

"Yeah," Nathan answered, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Have you seen it?"

"No, I'm an adult."

"Shut up, Pucas."

"One date and you're already whipped."

"I'm hanging up on you now."

"Nate, if I don't talk to you before then, good luck tomorrow."

"Oh, thanks, Lucas. Are you coming?"

"You got me floor seats; of course I'll be there. Peyton was going to come, but she's going to watch it with some friends instead."

"Thanks, man. I'll see you after the game."

"Later, brother."

* * *

Nathan's presence with Haley at the pre-school that Sam attended garnered a few second glances and stares from some of the other parents and students. When they arrived, Nathan looked around. The small campus, if it could be called that, was nice. It was gated and a woman was standing there with a clipboard. When Haley walked up to her, she gave the girl her name and someone went to get Sam. Haley signed for him and they waited a few moments. Sam came running up to his mom with a bucket filled with crayons, markers, and a few picture books. Tucked inside were a few drawings he'd done that day.

"How was school, bud?" Haley took Sam's red bucket from him and took his hand as they made their way back to the car.

"Good. We drew pictures and we finished our story and then we played with the parachute." Sam looked up at Nathan. "Nathan, are you gonna have movie night too?"

"If you don't mind." Nathan knew Sam liked him, but it was different now. Now he and Haley were dating and Nathan wanted to make sure that Sam was okay with that. It was one thing when Nathan and Haley were friends and when they hung out as a group. Now Nathan was hoping that it would be a lot more one on one time with he and Haley. But he knew that a lot of that depended on Sam's reaction to Nathan's increased presence in his mom's life. It had been Sam and Haley for so long. While there were others, specifically Brooke and Peyton, it was mainly Sam and Haley. The last thing that Nathan wanted was to interfere with that.

"Sure! Mommy's making chicken wraps!" Sam stopped, forcing Haley to stop as well. He reached his free hand for Nathan's and took it. Because of Sam, the three were now linked, all holding hands as they made their way the short distance to Haley's car. Nathan looked over at Haley and the two smiled at each other.

Haley watched as her son took Nathan's hand. She could tell that Sam trusted Nathan completely. The two had become friends. Haley knew she was going to have to talk to Sam about her relationship with Nathan. She hoped that Sam would be okay with it. It was a definite change. Sam hadn't been aware of the dates Haley had been on. They hadn't progressed to any level that would warrant telling him about it. Telling him would only confuse him. Nathan, though, was a different story. He was already around because they were friends. Haley had a feeling, too, that he would be around longer in a bigger capacity. Their date had gone so well last night and even though this wasn't the second date either had in mind – if it could be considered a date – his enthusiasm at the idea of a quiet night at home with Haley and Sam had given her hope. She would make a point to sit down and talk to Sam after a few more dates with Nathan. She just wanted to be sure. Haley also thought it would be a good idea to wait until after Thanksgiving. She didn't want her son telling her family anything prematurely. She wasn't sure what reaction she'd get from all of them when she told them she was seeing someone.

* * *

Once inside the house Haley took Sam's jacket and hung it in the closet in the entryway. "Sam, why don't you take your bucket upstairs and put it away for tomorrow. Come down when you're done. I'm going to get dinner started."

"Okay, mommy." Sam walked up the stairs, bucket in hand. Nathan watched him go. Being around Sam was making him remember the simplicity of being a child. Childhood was drawings and crayons and movie nights. At least, that's what Nathan felt like childhood should be. His was a bit different. By the time he was Sam's age he was already playing basketball. Dan was already coaching him and pushing him.

Nathan turned his attention back to Haley, who was hanging up her sweater. "Do you want help?"

Haley shook her head and Nathan was slightly disappointed. "But I'd like the company."

Nathan's expression brightened and he followed her into the kitchen. He watched as Haley naturally moved around her kitchen. She started gathering everything she'd need: chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, tortillas, dressing. He'd never watched a woman in the kitchen. His mother had been prone to calling for takeout or bringing something home after work. Home cooked meals were rare. He really only got them when they went to his grandparents house. Watching Haley navigate her kitchen and prepare dinner was something he'd never thought of, but something he enjoyed. She didn't treat it like a chore like his mother treated cooking.

"What do you want to drink?" Her voice broke his thoughts. She'd noticed him staring and wanted desperately to say something. Whenever he looked at her she felt the butterflies. The feeling was a little different after last night. Now the feeling didn't carry with it nerves, but the excitement won out and was now the dominant feeling.

For a split second, Haley thought she saw Nathan blush after her question.

"It's gonna sound kind of weird, but the night before a game I usually drink milk."

Haley grinned and decided to have some fun with this new piece of information. "Big, tough Nathan Scott drinks milk?"

Since she was smiling, Nathan took the opportunity to play along. "Hey, it does a body good." He was smirking and there was a mischievous glint in his eye that did not go unnoticed by Haley.

Haley decided not to comment. She and Nathan were taking things slowly, but she didn't want him to think that she was ready for more in the relationship than she was yet. She'd let the comment on his body go. She already knew that something was doing his body good. He didn't have to tell her. Her smile didn't leave her face as she went to the cupboard. She pulled out a cup and going to the refrigerator, she poured Nathan a glass of milk. She set the cup in front of him – a plastic cup covered in cartoon characters.

"Very funny, Hales." Still, Nathan lifted the cup and brought it to his lips, taking a sip.

"Do you get nervous before the season starts?"

"A little bit, actually. I know what I'm doing; I know all of our plays. But, I also know that small mistakes can cost a whole game. When I get on the court it all goes away and I'm fine. Instinct takes over and something else, this rush."

"Adrenaline," Haley supplied.

"Yeah. Exactly."

Haley nodded. "I get it before I go on stage."

"You get nervous?"

"So nervous," she admitted. "Most of the time before I go on stage Peyton finds me under a table humming the finale from Les Miserables. I can't remember the lyrics, the chords, or the notes. Then I get on stage and the lights go up. I know my band is behind me and they're prepared and it clicks. I'm still nervous because I've never liked being the center of attention. But I know that I know what I'm doing."

"Well, I've only seen you perform a couple of times, but you were great. Couldn't tell you were nervous at all."

"Thanks. You'll do great tomorrow. Peyton, Brooke, and Julian are coming over to watch. None of us know much about the game, but we'll do our best to keep up."

"I'm almost sorry Lucas is coming. He could tell you what's going on. He could have gone all the way if he could still play."

"Shame about the heart condition," Haley said, sympathizing. She knew from their summers during high school that Lucas loved the game and that he was apparently quite good. She felt bad for him when she found out that the reason he couldn't play was because of an inherited heart condition. She remembered what she'd been told about it being genetic and she looked at Nathan. "Have you been tested for it?"

Nathan nodded. "Healthy as can be. Heart's in good condition. I still try and be careful. Dan had a heart attack before he was forty. Don't want that happening to me."

Haley chewed on her lip. They'd only known each other for a few months and had only been on one date, so she couldn't fully explain the sense of relief that came over her in knowing that Nathan definitely was not afflicted with the same heart condition as his brother and that he was also taking steps to make sure the same fate that came to his father did not come to him.

As Haley was washing lettuce and tomatoes, Sam walked in. He carried in front of him a small box. Nathan had taken a seat at the small kitchen table as he watched Haley, after she had said she didn't need any help. Sam came and set the box on the table. Nathan looked at it and saw that it was a jigsaw puzzle. Sam dragged a chair a little closer to Nathan and climbed up, resting on his knees so he was a little taller.

"Nathan, do you want to help with the puzzle?"

"Just until dinner," Haley told them.

Nathan had never had a child come up to him and ask him to spend time with them before but with Sam he liked it. Puzzles, activity books, animated movies – these were things that were not normally part of Nathan's life. Yet, with Sam and Haley they were and Nathan didn't mind. More than not minding, Nathan was enjoying this kind of life. After years of parties, booze, and women, he was experiencing something new. He definitely knew which lifestyle he preferred

"Right, only until dinner." Nathan opened the box and he and Sam began sorting pieces. They were so immersed in fitting the pieces together that they didn't notice when Haley set plates in front of them. They'd made it half way through the puzzle. Sam kept his chair close to Nathan's as they ate. Haley had a glass of milk in front of Sam in a cup similar to Nathan's. He looked over at her and noticed that she too had a glass of milk in a plastic cup. He smiled and raised his cup to her.

"This is really great, Hales."

Haley blushed. "Oh, it's nothing. Just something quick."

"Yeah, but you made it yourself. And it tastes great. So, it's great."

"Thank you. What kind of stuff did your mom used to make?"

Nathan pushed some food around on his plate nervously. "She didn't cook. She brought home takeout and we heated stuff up."

"Oh, well…"

"My grandma is a great cook. And Lucas's mom Karen. The two of them are doing Thanksgiving dinner this year."

"Karen's a great cook. She cooked for us all one night when they were in Charlotte. It was great. So, you're going to Tree Hill for Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah, yeah. I have a game in Miami the day before and I can catch a quick flight right after."

"Peyton's going. Between you and me, I think she's a little nervous about meeting Karen and Keith."

"But she's met them before."

"Yeah, but she hasn't met them as Lucas's girlfriend. She'll be fine, she's just nervous."

"What about you two?"

"Charlotte, actually. The whole family is coming. All seven James kids, wives, husbands, kids. Brooke and Julian."

"I can't believe you're the youngest of seven. I don't know, I just grew up with just me. Six others seems like a lot."

"Oh, it was. By the time I was born, though, they were all so much older. Especially Ned and Vivian."

"Tell Ned I said hi."

"I will."

"And I meant what I said about a game. I'll be in Charlotte in January."

Haley nodded. They finished their dinner and headed into the living room where Haley found the Cars DVD and put it in the player. Sam took a seat on the floor, leaning against the sofa. Haley sat near the arm of the sofa, her feet tucked underneath her. Nathan was unsure of where to sit. He and Haley weren't close enough to sit too closely but he didn't want to sit so far away that it would be awkward. He decided to go with a different approach and took a seat on the floor next to Sam. Haley chuckled quietly and smiled at the two of them.

Sam looked up at Nathan. "What's your favorite movie?"

Without thinking, Nathan answered, "GoodFellas."

"Oh. What's that about?"

Now Nathan had to think about how to explain GoodFellas to a four year-old. He cocked his head to the side, thinking about the movie. "It's about a funny guy," Nathan finally answered.

"We should watch it someday," Sam said.

Haley shook her head. "Not for a long time, sweetie."

"How come?"

"It's for grownups," Nathan replied.

Sam looked at the TV screen, thinking. "Cars is my favorite."

"I've never seen it," Nathan admitted.

"It's the best!"

Nathan was surprised to find himself enjoying Cars. He couldn't remember the last time he'd watched an animated movie. He was surprised to find a pretty good story in there. Doc Hudson reminded him of Whitey and Lightening McQueen's arrogance hit a little close to home. He and Lightening both had listened to older, wiser men and had come out better for it.

When the movie ended Haley declared that it was Sam's bedtime. She sent him upstairs to brush his teeth, wash his face, and put on his pajamas. She explained to Nathan that Sam liked the independence of getting himself ready, but he also still loved a bedtime story.

Haley walked Nathan to the door, knowing it was time for him to go. He had a big day tomorrow.

"Thanks for coming tonight," she said.

"I had a great time."

"Really?" She was skeptical. They'd had chicken wraps and watched Cars.

"I really did. This is nice. You two made a great family for yourself, it's nice being around that."

Haley nodded and bit her lip. "Good luck tomorrow."

"Thanks."

"I'll be watching. Call me sometime after it, if you want."

"I want to. I definitely want to. I'd like to take you out again. Somewhere quiet. You know, still keep it low key and private. I'll call you, though. If not tomorrow, definitely the day after."

"You've got that road trip, right?"

Nathan nodded. "We'll make plans for after that. Something between then and Thanksgiving."

"That sounds good. Great," she corrected herself. Haley leaned forward and enveloped Nathan in a hug. Feeling a little bold, she copied Nathan's move from the night before. She brought her lips to his cheek and kissed him. Her other hand rested on his other cheek and she smiled at him, nodding before opening the door and letting him out.

* * *

Haley nervously played with the ring on her pinky finger. She, Brooke, Peyton, and Julian were sitting in her living room watching Nathan's game. It was almost over and he had played well. Knowing as little as Haley did about the game, she could tell that he was playing well. She also couldn't deny how great he looked in his uniform. Watching him play was thrilling. Haley had never thought of basketball as a graceful sport, but she was finding that she thought it was. At least when Nathan was playing. He moved between the other players with ease and finesse. The way his body moved when he took a shot, when he jumped to reach the net. Haley was definitely impressed.

The Lakers were winning, but by a slim margin and the game was nearly over. Haley knew that Nathan and the team had it in them to win, but it was still so close. The Utah Jazz were definitely giving them a run for their money.

Haley had let Sam stay up to watch the first thirty minutes of the game. He had watched with great attention and surprisingly, he knew more about the game than any of the adults in the room. Nathan and Lucas had done a good job of explaining it to him.

The buzzer rang and the game was over. The Lakers had managed a win when Nathan blocked a shot at the last minute. Haley felt a sense of pride watching him and her smile didn't go unnoticed by her best friends. Haley wasn't usually someone to watch sports. Occasionally she would watch figure skating and gymnastics when the Olympics were on, but she wasn't someone who watched sports. She was surprised at how much she liked watching Nathan play the game that he loved. It was so clear to her in the way that he played just how much he loved the game. She could tell that, like they discussed the night before, he got onto a court and he was where he belonged. He was in his element.

* * *

The next morning Nathan was packing some things for his trip. He looked over at his phone and picked it up.

"Morning," he greeted Haley when she answered the phone.

"Morning. I didn't expect you to call so soon." The truth was she was excited that he did.

"I uh, I couldn't wait."

Haley blushed and was glad he couldn't see her to see how deeply. "You were great last night. Congratulations."

"Did you know what was going on?"

"Kind of. I know you guys won. I know it looked like you played great and then the guys talking on TV said that you were. Sam explained some of it at the beginning before he went to sleep."

"I could try explaining it to you someday."

"I would like that. Especially if I'm going to be watching more games."

Nathan assumed that if she was going to watch more games that it meant that she'd be watching for him. He was elated. This was one of the best things he could have heard. "So, I get back on Thursday. Do you have plans Friday afternoon?"

"I have to work, actually."

"Oh," Nathan tried not to sound too disappointed. An idea came to him. "Well, what if I brought some food in? We could hang out?"

"Yeah. Sure. Maybe four?"

"Four, okay. What about Sam?"

"He'll be with Andre and Chuck."

"Okay. Friday at four."

"It's a date," she added.

"It's a date. I can't wait."

"Good luck with your games, Nathan."

* * *

**Note:** Thank you again! I look forward to reading your reviews!


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Well, guessing from your reviews, I _think_ you're going to like this chapter. And please keep the reviews coming, I love reading each and every one of them!

* * *

Haley loaded her suitcase and Sam's onto the luggage trolley at LAX. Julian pushed the cart, which also carried his and Brooke's luggage, as they all headed to check in for their flight. It was early Tuesday morning, just before Thanksgiving, and the four were headed to North Carolina for a James family Thanksgiving. Despite the fact that he and Brooke had been together for nearly two years, this was the first time that Julian would be meeting Jimmy and Lydia James. To say that he was nervous would be an understatement. He wasn't nervous when he met Victoria Davis. After Brooke's stories about the woman, he could honestly say that he wasn't nervous. He wasn't seeking her approval because he knew that she didn't have Brooke's approval. Jimmy and Lydia were something else entirely. They were Brooke's surrogate parents – she felt more love and respect for them than her own parents. If one were to ask Brooke Davis about her upbringing, she would attribute much of it to being around the James family.

They managed to get checked in quickly thanks to Haley's planning and getting things started the day before online. They now had time to relax and wait in the lounge for their flight to depart. Sam rested his head on his mother's lap and fell asleep quickly. The boy was not used to being woken up so early. Haley looked down at him and made sure he was sound asleep. She looked to Brooke and Julian.

"I need to ask you two for a favor."

"Sure, anything," Brooke agreed without knowing what Haley was going to ask. Julian nodded in agreement.

"Don't mention Nathan to my family yet."

"Why not? Things are going great for you two right?"

Haley nodded. Brooke was right. It had been just over three weeks. She and Nathan had been on several dates whenever he was in town. They even managed to get out in public without being noticed. They'd held hands, they'd hugged, they'd kissed on the cheek. But they hadn't made it much further and they hadn't put any labels on what was going on between them. They were taking things slow.

"They're great. But, Brooke, you know my family. You know how they are about me dating. I'm the baby of the family, and they've gotten even worse about that since I got pregnant." Haley chose her words carefully. The real reason her family was even more interested in her love life than they used to be was because Haley had been raped. At first, half of her siblings thought she should date and the others thought she should take things slowly. By now, everyone thought it was time for her to at least get out there. Julian didn't know any of that though.

"Is your family really that concerned about who you're going out with?" Julian fidgeted nervously in his seat.

Haley gave him a sympathetic smile. "Relax, Julian. They just get a little crazy about me and who I'm dating. You have nothing to worry about with them. They're going to love you when they see how great you are for Brooke."

"I've been telling him. Will he listen? No." Brooke was exasperated. Exasperated, but amused.

"Can you guys just not mention it? I'll tell them soon. I will. I just want to be a little more clear on where things are going with Nathan."

"Absolutely," Brooke nodded. "Have I mentioned how psyched I am about the two of you? I can't wait for your first red carpet appearance. I'm going to make sure you have the perfect dress. Maybe it should be at Julian's premiere next month!"

"He'll be out of town for that, Brooke. The team has a game the night before; he said he won't be back in time."

"Bummer," Brooke muttered.

"Besides," Haley added, "I think it's a little too soon for the both of us to get thrown into that media circus."

Brooke took a magazine out of her carryon and began flipping through the pages while Julian made notes in a script.

"Haley, if you have time, I think there's a scene in here that could use a Haley James Original," Julian told her.

Haley blushed and smiled. "You just started working on that."

"This is right about the time I knew the last time. And that worked out great. I can't imagine the movie without those songs."

Haley bit down on her lip. "What did you have in mind?"

"Something really stripped down. Maybe just you and the guitar or just you and the piano. Nothing else."

Haley nodded. "When you film the scene you want it in, let me take a look. We'll see if I get inspired."

"You want to read the pages?"

"Can I?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm still making notes, but once we're on the plane."

"P. Sawyer tells me you've been writing like crazy lately. I'd say you've been inspired." Brooke had a twinkle in her eye and Haley could tell exactly what she was thinking.

The truth was Haley had been feeling inspired these past couple of weeks. She had an idea of where that inspiration was coming from, too. Another thing she'd discovered in the past couple of weeks was that when Nathan was out of town she missed him. They had plans for the coming week once both were back in Los Angeles and Haley had to admit that she was excited about it. She was pretty sure she had a boyfriend. She just wasn't sure yet. He would be the first boyfriend she'd had since before Sam was born.

* * *

Nathan pulled his rental car up to his mom's house. Getting out, he stretched and then grabbed his bag. His game had ended the night before and it was now dawn on Thanksgiving. He wanted nothing more than a shower and a nap before his mom, his grandparents, and he headed over to Karen and Keith's for dinner. He thought of calling Haley, but didn't want to disturb her during her time with her family. He missed her and part of him was tempted to keep driving north and make it to Charlotte so he could see her. Before knocking on his mother's door, he sent Haley a text message telling her and Sam to have a great holiday and promising he'd call soon.

He was greeted enthusiastically by his mother and grandparents. Nathan hadn't been to this house often. His mother had moved into it after Dan went to prison. The relationship between Nathan's mother, Deb, and his grandparents, Royal and Mae, hadn't been great when Nathan was a kid. Royal had partially held Deb responsible for Dan not being able to play professional basketball. However, when Dan confessed to shooting Keith, dynamics in the family changed a great deal. Royal, in particular, changed. His most cherished son, the one he clearly favored, had shot his older son in cold blood. Over the years, Royal and Keith had gotten closer and now Royal and Mae were quite close to Deb.

Nathan excused himself after saying hello to everyone and took his shower and his nap. After only a few hours of sleep, though, he was woken up to head to Karen and Keith's.

There were more people in Karen and Keith's tiny house than could probably fit in there, but Nathan couldn't help but notice how happy everyone looked as they sat around the dinner table eating. Karen and Mae had prepared a great meal and Peyton was a huge hit with the family. Everyone felt that Lucas had chosen a great girlfriend. They were just about finished eating when the conversation became focused on Nathan.

"So, Nathan," his grandmother began, "what about you?"

"What about me, grandma?"

"Well, Lucas brings home this beautiful young lady. When are you going to bring someone home?"

"I have been seeing less of you on the front page of Us Weekly when I'm in the grocery store," Deb observed. "What's going on?"

"He's totally dating someone," Lucas threw in. Lucas had been waiting for someone to bring it up so he could spill the beans. Nathan never really had girlfriends and this news was definitely going to shock the family.

He was right. Everyone around the table stopped eating and looked at Nathan. Nathan looked down at his plate and moved the mashed potatoes around with his fork. "These potatoes are great, grandma."

"Nathan Royal Scott, you're not changing the subject," Deb chided.

Nathan glared in Lucas's direction. His brother just smiled in satisfaction.

"Nathan," Deb tried getting her son's attention. "This girl, who is she?"

Nathan couldn't help the smile that came across his face as he thought about who this girl was. "Haley," was all he said.

"So, you're seeing someone? Good for you," Keith told him. Despite Dan's lack of parenting skills, Keith always felt that Nathan had it in him to be a good man and thought that Nathan could certainly learn from the mistakes Dan made.

"Well, tell us about her," Mae prompted.

"She's wonderful. She's beautiful and she's smart and she's kind and she's funny and she's a klutz. She doesn't understand basketball at all but she tries. She's talented and she's a great mom."

"Mom?" Deb rested her elbows on the table and looked more intently at her son.

Nathan nodded. "She has a son. He's four. He's great, his name is Sam."

"What does she do?" Royal noticed Deb's somewhat uncomfortable reaction to the news that Haley had a son and wanted to get the conversation in a different direction.

"She's a musician," Peyton told them. She also noticed Deb's reaction to finding out about Sam.

"Is she on your label?" Mae now looked at Peyton. Earlier during the day, Peyton had told them all about the label.

"She's co-founder, actually. We co-produce every album that we put out, including Haley's."

"Haley James?" Realization dawned on Karen.

"Yeah," Nathan said.

"Oh, Nathan, that's wonderful! Haley's fantastic!"

"Haley, she was the one with the brown hair, about so high?" Keith held his hand up to about Haley's height.

"Yeah," Lucas answered.

Keith whistled. "Good work, Nate. She's way out of your league."

Keith's joke broke the tension at the table and everyone laughed.

Deb remembered the earlier information, though. "What about her ex? I don't want to seem like I'm judging anyone, Nathan. I'm just looking out for you."

"He's out of the picture and he always will be," Peyton firmly told everyone.

"You can't know that," Deb said.

"Yes I can." Peyton thought about what she was going to say. "Haley is a very private person. Especially when it comes to her son. Nathan's right. She's a great mom. If she wants someone to know about that part of her life it's up to her to tell them. But I can say without any doubt that Sam's biological father is nothing that Nathan or anyone else needs to worry about." Peyton leaned back in her chair and took a sip of her wine. There was a finality to the action that told everyone that the subject was closed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't meant to imply anything," Deb apologized. "It's just in Nathan's position he has to be careful with women trying to deceive him."

Peyton looked thoughtfully at Deb, "I know you don't want anyone taking advantage of him. Haley isn't like that, though. I've known her since I was four years-old."

"So, she's from here in North Carolina, like you," Royal realized.

"Yeah, she's in Charlotte with her family right now. Six brothers and sisters," Nathan told everyone.

"Congratulations, Nathan. Haley's a special woman," Karen told him.

"Yeah, I know."

"When did you two start seeing each other?" They were now passed the more uncomfortable parts of the interrogation and Mae wanted details.

"Just a few weeks," Nathan replied.

"She kept turning him down months ago," Lucas laughed.

Nathan shrugged.

"How did you get her to change her mind? Keith, switch seats with me so I can sit next to Nathan," Mae ordered.

"Um, we became friends. Then she asked me out."

"Brooke had a field day with that one. She couldn't believe Haley asked you out. Totally goes against her dating code," Peyton recalled.

"You're going to have to teach her your game," Royal told Nathan.

"Working on it," Nathan admitted.

* * *

Having finished dinner, Haley and the entire James family and Julian were now gathered in the living room with pie and coffee. Haley sat on the floor, Sam sitting in her lap in front of her. Ned was on the sofa just to her right.

"So, Haley Bob, how's Nathan?"

Brooke half coughed and half laughed at Ned bringing the subject up. Haley, Brooke, and Julian hadn't mentioned Nathan once during dinner.

"Need some water Brooke?" Haley glared at her friend.

"I'm good."

"Uh, he's good," Haley answered Ned.

"Good season so far."

"You know I don't know anything about basketball." That wasn't technically a lie. Haley and sports did not mix.

"Who's Nathan?" A mouth full of pie wasn't going to stop Jimmy from asking about this guy.

"Nathan is a friend," Haley said. "He's Lucas's brother. He plays for the Lakers."

"He got me a basketball hoop for my birthday and he and Lucas show me how to play," Sam supplied.

"Do they?" Lydia looked at her youngest daughter. "He sounds like a nice young man."

Taylor scoffed. "He's in the tabloids all the time. New girl every night."

"You don't know him, Tay. He's a good guy. He hasn't been in the tabloids in a long time."

"Sounds like Haley likes him," her brother Eli teased.

"We're friends," she said. "By the way, Ned, he said he'll be playing Charlotte soon and he can still get you tickets."

"Oh, great. That's nice of him to remember. So, you guys been hanging out?" Ned was prying.

"We're friends. He's Lucas's brother so he hangs around with us."

"Haley Bob's got a crush," Quinn cooed.

"Actually, she broke the poor guy's heart," Ned told them.

"You met him when you were in L.A. last summer, I guess," Vivian added.

"Yeah. Little sis here finishes her concert, comes and sits with us and this nice guy who's been playing with her son can't take his eyes off of her. He's looking at her like she's perfect, so he asks her out. She says no and he leaves, shoulders slumped over looking like someone ran over his puppy."

"Haley James, heartbreaker," her brother Eli joked.

Haley blushed a deep red and focused on her pie.

* * *

Later that night after putting Sam to sleep in a room with her nieces and nephews, Haley bumped into Ned in the hall.

"Sorry for the teasing earlier," he apologized.

"It's fine, Ned."

"So you two are friends now?" He was whispering so he didn't wake anyone up. Several of the James family had already gone to bed.

Haley nodded and looked down the hallway. She lowered her voice to just below a whisper. "I took your advice."

Ned raised his eyebrows. "You went out with him?"

Haley nodded again. "It's been about three weeks now."

"How's it going?"

Haley smiled wide. "I like him a lot, Ned. He's been great. So patient with me."

"You've got a boyfriend, Haley Bob. I'm proud."

"We haven't really talked about that, Ned. It's only been three weeks."

"Yeah, yeah. So what's he up to for Thanksgiving?"

"He's with his family in Tree Hill, actually. With Peyton and Lucas."

"Are you going to tell him?"

Haley sighed. "It's been three weeks, Ned."

"You like him a lot, Haley."

"I know. I know if this continues I'm going to have to tell him. Right now it's too soon for me to do that."

As if on cue, Haley's phone began vibrating in the back pocket of her jeans. She looked at the message and smiled.

"I'd guess from that smile it's him. Why don't you call him out on the porch. I'll make sure no one comes out there."

Haley hugged her brother and headed downstairs. She slipped out of the house and took a seat on one of the chairs on the back porch. She dialed the number and bit onto the nail of her right index finger as it rang.

"Hi," he answered.

"Happy Thanksgiving."

"What are you up to?"

"Um, just got Sam to sleep. There are a few people still awake downstairs."

"Any plans tomorrow?"

"Not really. We were just going to relax but I think everyone else has plans to go shopping or something."

"I was thinking, and it's okay if you don't want to, but I was thinking of maybe driving up there. Maybe we could have lunch?"

Haley loved the sound of that. She would love to see him. "Nathan, that's a four hour drive."

"So? You're worth it. My mom, Karen, and my grandma are going shopping with Lily tomorrow. Luke is showing Peyton around town and Keith and my grandpa have plans. I could hang out with them, but I'd rather drive up and see you."

"I don't want you to go out of your way."

"You're not out of my way. I'll take you and Sam out to lunch."

Haley thought for a moment. "Okay."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"I'll try and be there by noon."

"Okay, there's this place, it's really quiet. I'll text you the address so your GPS can find it."

"Sounds great. I'll see you tomorrow."

Nathan was about to hang up but Haley stopped him. "Nathan, I can't wait for tomorrow."

"Me too," he said before hanging up.

Haley held her phone in both of her hands and brought her knees up, resting her chin on them. She was smiling and lost in thought when Ned came out.

"I noticed you hung up, I figured I wouldn't be interrupting."

"You're not. He's coming up here tomorrow for lunch."

"You gonna tell mom and dad and, well, everyone?"

Haley shook her head. "Too soon. You know how they'll react, Ned. With everything that's happened. I'll tell them, but not this week."

"I understand that. You've got to take thing slow for you. I'm still really happy for you."

* * *

The next afternoon couldn't come fast enough for Haley. She told Brooke and Julian what was happening and both were happy for her. Ned had promised Sam when he woke up to take him miniature golfing without asking Haley first, knowing she didn't want to just hand her son off on someone else so she could spend time with a guy. She tried to protest, but Ned insisted. He also helped get everyone else out of the house so Haley could meet with Nathan in peace and without any questions.

He was there before Haley even got there and both broke into wide smiles at the sight of each other. They hugged each other tightly, letting go slowly.

"So, lunch?" He went to open the door of the café she'd had them meet at but she stopped him and held up a basket.

"I had other plans."

"Really? This picnic idea seems familiar."

"Yeah, but this time we're going to an actual park and we don't have to worry about any paparazzi."

Nathan took her hand in his and looked down at their fingers laced together as she led him a few blocks toward a park. The grass was covered in red leaves and the air was slightly chilly, but neither seemed to mind or even notice. Haley walked them toward a picnic table and wiped a few leaves off of it before sitting down.

"Leftovers from last night," she explained as she laid out the foot on the table.

"Looks great."

"Oh, it is."

"Did you help cook it?"

"Yeah, me, my mom, and Vivian."

"No Brooke Davis in the kitchen?"

Haley shook her head and laughed. "No, and you don't want that."

They'd finished eating and were cleaning up when Nathan cleared his throat, causing Haley to stop what she was doing and look at him.

"I told my family about us."

"Oh. I, um, I didn't." Haley suddenly felt embarrassed. She didn't want him thinking for a minute that she was ashamed of him or their growing relationship. "It isn't because I don't like what's going on. I do. I just," she bit down on her lip, "I don't know what we are yet. This is so new for me Nathan. This is honestly the first adult relationship I've had. And it's only been three weeks. We've been on dates, we've hung out, and I know how much I like you. And my family, they like to make a big deal out of the smallest things. They're so protective about me since I'm the youngest and they also like to tease me a lot. I love them all to death, but since I don't know what we are yet, I just didn't think it was the right time."

Nathan nodded. A part of him was a little hurt that she hadn't told her family. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops that he was the lucky bastard who got to date Haley James. But he didn't know her family and he was mature enough to know that if Haley thought it wasn't a good idea to tell them, then he'd respect that.

He also didn't like that she didn't know what they were to each other. Last night, his family had referred to her as his girlfriend. He'd liked the sound of that. It's what he wanted. He could remove those doubts, though. He could do that much. He walked around the picnic table so that he was standing right in front of her.

"I think that you're my girlfriend. That's how I see you after these three weeks. I've never felt like this about someone and I don't want it to stop. You don't know what we are just yet, so I'm telling you how I see it. If you want to keep spending time with me and dating me, then I'd like to be your boyfriend." Nathan ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "That sounds so high school, but it's true. I want that. If it's okay with you. I know you haven't really discussed it with Sam either and I guess that's because we haven't put a name to this.

"But it's a relationship, Haley. The first adult one I've ever had," he echoed her earlier words. "So, if you'd let me, I'd like to be your boyfriend."

Haley stared at him in awe. Once again, he knew just what to say. He had just the right words. That was exactly what she wanted to hear. She had used their lack of status and label as an excuse to not tell her parents and she still wasn't going to, but she shoved the guilt from that aside as she looked at Nathan's handsome, nervous face. She searched his blue eyes, for what she wasn't sure. But looking into his eyes was becoming a favorite activity of hers.

She brought the palm of her hand to his cheek and caressed it softly. He brought his larger hand to cover hers. Haley thought for a moment about what she was going to do. She had wanted to do it for a while now, but hadn't worked up the courage to take the initiative. Looking into his eyes she saw exactly what she was looking for. The presence of her hand on his face had seemed to calm the doubts he was having about her response. She saw honesty there.

Standing on her tip toes, Haley moved the hand that was on his cheek to the back of his head, her fingers lightly touching the short, dark hair at the nape of his neck. She guided his head down to hers. He figured out what she was doing and moved his head lower. Slowly, they inched closer and stopped when their faces were just slightly apart. Haley closed her eyes and closed the gap between them, her lips touching his tentatively.

After a second, she moved her lips against his and he responded. His lips were softer than she expected. The kiss deepened as Nathan brought his hands to Haley's hips. They kissed for several minutes. Nathan's mind was cloudy. He hadn't expected Haley to kiss him. They'd been taking their relationship so slowly because he had a feeling that she wasn't ready for more. She hadn't told him, but Nathan could tell that there was something in her past that kept her from getting involved with anyone. Something more than raising Sam. Peyton's strong reaction to questions about Sam's biological father had confirmed his suspicions. Right now, though, he was just so happy that she was kissing him that he didn't think about that.

Haley was weak in the knees and was grateful for Nathan holding her. She'd been kissed before, but never like this. This kiss was filled with promise, hope, optimism, need, want, and a feeling Haley wasn't quite sure she could decipher. Whatever it was, she knew she never wanted this to end.

* * *

**Note:** I hope you all liked where that went. I just really wanted that first kiss to happen in North Carolina. Also, I know Deb comes across a little bitchy in this, but I hope you understand where she's coming from. Thanks again for reading!


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Just to warn you, this is probably the chapter I've had the hardest time with. So, if it doesn't quite meet your expectations, I understand. It's just needed to get us somewhere. Thank you for reading and thank you for the reviews.

* * *

Brooke worked her way through the massive closet in her offices at Clothes Over Bro's. She took a few steps back and placed her hands on her hips. "Where is it?"

"Where's what?" Peyton walked in and stood next to Brooke, throwing her arm around the brunette's shoulders. They'd both gotten back from North Carolina the day before and hadn't seen each other yet.

"I'm looking for a belt. I need it for tomorrow for Haley's dress."

"Big night. You nervous?"

"I'm nervous for Julian. I know the movie's great. I just hope everyone else thinks so." Brooke turned her head to look at Peyton. "How did it go with Lucas's parents?"

"Good. Karen and Keith are great. I really liked his grandparents, too. I think I gained ten pounds just from dinner. Nathan's mom isn't my favorite person."

"What happened?" Brooke resumed her search through the closet, now going through various boxes.

"Well, the subject of Nathan dating someone came up. When Nathan mentioned that Haley has a son, Deb got a little… Well, she asked if Sam's father would be coming into the picture. She seemed worried about that and about Nathan getting involved with a single mother who might try and take every penny he's got."

"Why, that old hag!"

"I took care of her," Peyton said with somewhat of a smug smile.

"Put her in her place?"

"Damn straight. I overheard Nathan telling her off later, too. I'm glad he did. How was Charlotte? Did they all love Julian?"

"They totally did. Poor boy was nervous for nothing. So, did you happen to notice on Friday that Nathan disappeared?"

"Actually, I did. How did you know? Lucas had no idea where he went."

"He drove to Charlotte."

"You're kidding!"

"I'm so not, P. Sawyer. He drove to Charlotte to have lunch with Haley and then he drove back. Eight hours in a rental car for her."

"He's got it bad."

"So does she. She came home and didn't stop smiling. Wouldn't tell me and Julian what happened. Just said she had a nice time."

"Did she tell her family about him?"

"No," Brooke shook her head. "She said she wanted them to be a little more established first. I have a feeling she told Ned, though. I don't know. I think… I think that a part of her wants to wait until she tells him… you know. Just to see how he reacts. She's falling hard, Peyton. If he runs after she tells him, it's going to be hard enough on her without having to break the news to her family."

"Yeah. I get that. He's out of town, right?"

"He won't be back until tomorrow night. I know they have plans. I'm still glad they got to see each other on Friday. Should make the wait easier."

"Nathan's schedule sucks," Peyton surmised.

"You can say that again. But don't."

"Smart ass," Peyton picked up a belt lying on the floor and gently hit Brooke with it.

Brooke looked at the accessory and smiled. "Great job! Just what I was looking for."

* * *

Haley and Sam were sitting down to dinner that night. Haley was still on cloud nine. Before Nathan left to head back to Tree Hill they walked more through Charlotte. They held hands the entire time and snuck in several more kisses. Any kind of a physical relationship was new to Haley and she was surprised at how easy it was to kiss Nathan. It was something she found that she really liked. She had kissed her previous versions, but it had been so long since then that she had forgotten how much enjoyment could be obtained from showing someone affection.

It wasn't just the kissing, though. It was kissing Nathan. That was unlike anything else. None of Haley's previous boyfriends could quite compare to kissing Nathan. Their kisses hadn't even been that intense, but there was something more in them that Haley couldn't quite put her finger on.

After being raped, Haley hadn't considered a relationship until people began mentioning it to her. Her focus was on Sam from the moment she found out that she was pregnant. She just didn't want a relationship. Then Nathan came into her life and she found herself attracted to someone. She admitted in counseling that she wanted to be enough for him and it wasn't going to be easy. She knew that if their relationship progressed that it would come to something beyond kissing. Kissing was one thing, but a physical relationship was something that she knew at this point that she absolutely was not ready for.

Haley looked at Sam as he gathered his string beans onto his fork and took a bite. Getting him to eat vegetables was never actually a problem. Haley remembered growing up and watching her parents bribe and trick Taylor into eating hers. Haley was grateful that she didn't have to resort to that.

Before collecting their dishes when they were finished, Haley turned her chair to face Sam completely.

"I need to have a grown up talk with you, buddy."

"Okay, mommy." Sam sat back in his chair and folded his hands and placed them in his lap.

Haley thought for a moment about how to form her words. "Do you remember a while back when we talked about how mommy and Lucas are friends?" Sam nodded. "Do you remember how we said that Lucas and Peyton are friends, but in a different way that mommy and Lucas are friends?"

Sam nodded again. "Lucas and Aunt Peyton hold hands and they kiss and they go to the movies."

Haley chuckled at how simply her son had put it. She continued, "How would you feel if mommy had a friend like that?"

Sam looked down at his hands and thought. "Who?"

"Well, Nathan. You know he's my friend, but we've been thinking of being friends like Lucas and Peyton are. He would be my boyfriend." Haley felt the exhilarating butterflies return to her stomach when she referred to Nathan has her boyfriend. Before Sam could respond she told him, "You would still be the most important person in my life. Just because I'm dating Nathan doesn't mean that you and I change. It just means that sometimes Nathan and I would go out together and that sometimes Nathan might come with the two of us when we go somewhere."

"Would you have to kiss Nathan?"

"Yeah."

"On the lips?"

"Yes."

"Ew."

Haley laughed. "Are you okay with this, Sam?"

Sam thought some more and looked up at his mother. She was biting her lip. Finally, Sam nodded his head and smiled. "Nathan is my friend too. He can be your boyfriend."

Haley was relieved. The future of her new relationship with Nathan was all on the shoulders of a four year-old boy. Haley leaned forward and kissed Sam on the forehead. "Thanks, sweetie."

"For what?"

"For making me really happy. You've done that every day since you were born."

"You're welcome."

"You ready for story time?"

* * *

Haley hated big events. It was one of the downsides of being famous. She was proud of the work she did for Julian, though, and she wanted to support him tonight at his premiere. Brooke was nervous for Julian. They had all seen the movie already and Julian did a great job. Brooke was so proud of him.

They had all decided to share a limousine for the big night – Brooke, Julian, Haley, Lucas, and Peyton. It was a little crowded in there, but they made do. It wasn't a long ride to the theater.

"Okay, Lucas and Julian, you two are going to have to scrunch together. I can't have you wrinkling these dresses I made. They're fabulous, aren't they ladies?"

"They always are, Brooke," Peyton answered.

"A+ again, Tigger."

"Julian, Lucas, what do you two think?" Brooke gave them a look that told them exactly what they had better think.

"You three all look great," Lucas answered.

Brooke looked over at her boyfriend and saw him fidgeting. She sympathetically smiled at him. "It's okay, babe. They're gonna love the movie."

"Thanks," he smiled humbly.

"And look at the bright side, this isn't nearly as scary for you as it was meeting Mama and Papa James last week!"

Julian laughed. Brooke was great at relieving his stress. He was grateful every day for her.

"Too bad my idiot brother couldn't be here," Lucas observed, looking at Haley.

"Be nice, Luke. I know. It would have been nice if he could have been here with all of us. Still, at least we still don't have to be photographed everywhere we go. We can still be just the two of us."

"You're really good for him, Haley," Lucas said earnestly.

Haley blushed and looked down at her shoes. They were beautiful but she knew by the end of the night that her feet would be killing her.

Haley didn't notice Peyton lean closer to Lucas and whisper in his ear. "Your brother's good for her too."

Lucas smiled, satisfied. His brother had been through a lot of changes in the past year. To hear that Nathan could be good for someone, someone as special as Haley, made him proud.

The night went well. The movie was a hit with the audience. Haley performed both songs that she wrote at the after party. However, disliking these events like she did, she left not long after that. She took the limousine back, knowing the driver would go back to the party for her friends. They weren't even close to leaving yet.

* * *

Haley walked up to her front door and saw a figure sitting on the bench on her porch. Her steps slowed and she gripped her keys tightly in her hand. The figure stood and stepped into the illumination of the porch light. Even before she could see his face, she could tell who it was when he stood. She smiled and walked toward him, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"What are you doing here?" She leaned up and kissed him softly. She pulled away, keeping her eyes closed a moment longer, and smiling.

"I got in a little earlier than I thought. Not early enough to make it to the premiere, but I thought I'd come see you. Your, uh, your sitter wouldn't let me in."

"Good, she's not supposed to let anyone in she doesn't know."

"She knew who I was."

"Yeah, she's still under strict orders."

"I get it. We talked for a while through the window."

"How long have you been here?"

"About an hour. Lucas told me when the movie would be ending and I know you don't like staying for the parties."

"Yeah, I had to perform, actually. Otherwise I would have been home sooner."

"Oh, it's fine. I just really wanted to see you."

"Well, come on in," Haley unlocked the door and led the way inside. Nathan closed the door behind them and followed her into the living room. Ally, the babysitter, was sitting on the sofa with a book.

"Hi, Miss James," she greeted her. "Sorry, I didn't know if he was supposed to be here." She looked at Nathan and shrugged.

"I've told you that you can call me Haley. This is Nathan. If he ever shows up again, go ahead and let him inside. How was he?"

"Great, as usual. Sound asleep. Ate all his vegetables."

"Great. Thank you for watching him."

"You're welcome. Well, I'll get out of your hair."

"I'll walk you out. Nathan, make yourself comfortable."

Haley walked Ally out but stopped her on the porch. "Ally, Nathan and I, we're keeping our friendship quiet for right now."

"Oh, got it. No problem, Miss James. I mean Haley. Anyway, my lips are sealed."

"Thanks."

Haley waited for Ally to get in her car and drive away before going back inside. She headed upstairs and looked in on Sam. Seeing him asleep, she went to her room and ditched the shoes Brooke had picked for her. She found Nathan sitting on the sofa waiting for her. She joined him, sitting a little closer than she would have last week. Haley was feeling more comfortable now that they'd not only put a label on their relationship but that her son was okay with this new development.

Nathan leaned in and kissed Haley, his hand resting on her cheek. Haley pulled away first and licked her lips. Seeing her do that, Nathan leaned in again and kissed her. She stopped after a quick kiss and began to speak before he could move again.

"So, I talked to Sam yesterday."

"Oh, okay." Nathan had a feeling what they had talked about. He'd been hoping since Friday that Haley would talk to Sam. He didn't know when she wanted to go public with their relationship, but talking to Sam was a big step. Since she let him in the house and had willingly been kissing him, he hoped that meant the talk with Sam went well.

"Sam says you can be my boyfriend. He's okay with this." Haley smiled, hoping that Nathan would like this news.

"He's really okay with it?"

"He is. He already likes you, Nathan."

"I know, but this is different. We're not just friends anymore."

Haley shook her head. "No, we're not. I still think we should take things slow. Especially when we're around Sam. I know he's okay with us, and I know he likes you. But he's so used to it being just me and him. I just don't want him feeling like he's any less important to me."

"Haley, I don't think that's possible. Sam's always going to be the most important person in your life. It's one of the things I like about you most."

"Oh, you're very charming, Mr. Scott. You know just what to say, don't you?"

"I've got some game," Nathan joked.

"Yeah, you do." Haley wrapped her arm around Nathan's neck and kissed him. He moved closer, putting one hand on her hip and rubbing his thumb over the fabric of her dress.

"You look beautiful tonight, Hales," he said between kisses.

"Brooke made the dress."

"It's not the dress. It's never the dresses."

"You really do have game."

Nathan leaned forward a little more so that Haley was leaning against the back of the couch. They were still sitting, but were close to lying down. Haley kept kissing Nathan, not wanting to stop with that particular activity. She knew, though, that if she didn't stop Nathan might think things were going to go further than they would be.

Haley moved against Nathan's lips, somehow maneuvering them so that she was now a bit more on top of Nathan. She slowly pulled away and looked at him.

"Do you want to have lunch tomorrow? Meet me at the office?"

Nathan nodded. The hand that wasn't on Haley's hip was brought to her face. He took a loose strand of her hair in his fingers, gently moving it behind her ear.

"Should I go?" He didn't want to. He knew, though, that it was still early in their relationship. They'd only just decided they were a couple. As much as he would have loved to stay and spend more time on the sofa with her, he had a feeling that she wasn't ready for that. He wanted to respect her and if that meant going home to a cold shower, then that's what he would do.

Haley nodded, biting her lip. "It's just been a long night, Nathan." She hated lying to him. She did have a long night, but the real reason she wanted him to go was that she knew she was soon going to have to explain to him why she wasn't ready for a physical relationship yet beyond what they already had.

"It's okay, Hales." Nathan lifted Haley's hand and kissed it. "I'll see you tomorrow for lunch."

"I did miss you, Nathan."

Hearing her say that lifted Nathan's spirits. He drove home thinking. When he got home, he didn't stop thinking. He lay in bed, trying to sleep, and couldn't stop thinking. He had been surprised on Friday when Haley had kissed him. He had wanted it to happen. The truth was that Nathan wasn't sure how to proceed in a real relationship. He didn't know at which stage you're supposed to start kissing or the regular timetable you were supposed to start the physical relationship. It didn't necessarily bother him. He just didn't like not knowing. He let Haley decide the pace of their relationship. He knew there was something going on with her. He knew there had to be a reason why she was so hesitant about dating.

He felt that it had to do with something about Sam's father. His mother's questions had only made him wonder more. He knew Haley wasn't after his money. She had enough of her own. He did sometimes wonder how much Sam's father had hurt her for Haley to close herself off from dating so much. It couldn't just be raising Sam. She had her career; she was willing to go after something for herself. Whoever that bastard was must have done a real number on her.

Whatever happened, Nathan felt instinctively that he was going to have to be more patient than he'd ever been before if he wanted Haley to trust him enough to let him in. They seemed to be making progress and every time that happened Nathan was surprised. He knew she hadn't originally wanted to get involved with him and one thing that she said kept playing over in his mind. She said that she came with baggage and that he didn't want to get involved with her. It was like she was warning him. What could have possibly happened in her past relationship to make her feel like this?

Nathan genuinely enjoyed being friends with Haley. He realized that when he swallowed his pride and didn't avoid her after she turned him down all those months ago. He wanted to be with her completely, but he was also beginning to realize that he didn't need it. Haley James was the first woman he'd ever been attracted to for more than just her body. She was beautiful. She didn't even realize it. She had beautiful doe shaped eyes and her lips were the perfect shape. They fit together perfectly with his, which is one of the reasons he couldn't stop kissing her. She also had the most naturally beautiful figure he'd ever seen on a woman. But more than that, Nathan found himself attracted to her kindness, her generosity, and her spirit. She was a lot of fun to be around. He'd realized that a lot of time could pass with the two of them just talking and it still wouldn't feel like enough time with Haley.

* * *

Brooke and Peyton were walking into Peyton and Haley's office when Peyton suddenly pulled Brooke's arm and stopped her.

"P. Saywer, what the hell?"

"Shh!" Peyton put her finger to her lips and pointed to the sofa in the middle of the office.

Sitting on the sofa were Nathan and Haley. Haley was leaning against Nathan, her head at an angle, her lips firmly attached to Nathan's.

Brooke began jumping and pointing. Peyton smiled and nodded. Brooke whisper yelled, "They're kissing!"

Peyton nodded again and whispered, "Relax, Brookie. Let's not interrupt them."

"Good plan."

"We can hear you two," Haley said loudly. Peyton and Brooke walked in, sheepish looks on their faces.

"Hi, Nate," Peyton greeted him. "Good trip?"

"Yeah. Thanks for asking. Hi, Brooke."

"Hey there, Boy Toy." Brooke looked pleased with herself.

"I'd better get going," Nathan excused himself and stood.

"Thanks for lunch," Haley said, walking him to the elevator at the end of the hallway. As she passed Brooke and Peyton she shook her head.

Haley and Nathan kissed goodbye and she walked back into the office. She ignored Brooke and Peyton and began cleaning up the empty food containers from lunch.

"So, kissing." Brooke still looked pleased with herself when Haley stopped and looked at her.

Haley blushed. "Yeah."

"That's it? Come on, Haley, I want more details!"

"Brooke, you know we're taking things slow."

"Yes, but how's the kissing?"

"Good."

"That's it? Peyton always said Lucas was a great kisser. I would think since they're brothers Nathan would be too."

Haley was blushing and trying to keep from smiling.

"Brooke, she says one thing but her face is saying something different."

"Oh, I get it. Fine. Keep quiet. Seriously, though. How is the kissing?"

"Really, Brooke?" Peyton pinched Brooke's arm.

"That's not what I meant! I mean how are you with the kissing? He's not pushing you is he?"

Haley shook her head. "No. He's not pushing me. I know he'll want more eventually."

"Do you want more?" Peyton took a seat behind her desk.

"I don't know how to answer that. The kissing is good for right now. It's great. Last night we were on the sofa and things almost… Well, we stopped. He was really great about it. He's not pressuring me."

"Haley, I think we're getting to a point where you need to tell him the truth."

"I don't think I'm ready, Brooke."

"Haley, I know you and I love you. You're falling hard for Nathan Scott."

"It's been three weeks."

"Haley, be honest, it's been going on longer than three weeks. Brooke's right, you're falling and hard. The more you fall for the guy, the harder it's going to be if you wait."

"I know," Haley nodded. "I do."

* * *

**Note:** Well, as you can see, we're headed somewhere you've all been asking for. Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Disclaimer: **One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** First of all, whenever I think you all couldn't get better with your reviewing, you go and get better. I love that you're so excited for where this is heading. I hope you like this chapter, it was a lot of work and I hope I did what was necessary for it.

* * *

December had flown by. Both Nathan and Haley had been incredibly busy. Nathan had been gone half the month on away games. The team wasn't first in the league, but they were the best team in the western conference.

Haley was just as busy. She and Peyton were finishing up work on Mia's new album. Haley had been nominated for a Golden Globe for one of the songs she had written for Julian's movie. He and Brooke were certain that she'd be nominated for an Oscar as well.

Their relationship was basically in the same place it had been a month earlier. Haley could tell that Nathan was getting frustrated with her, but he was doing his best not to pressure her. She wanted to give him more, but she couldn't bring herself to explain why she couldn't give him more. Luckily for Haley, she didn't have to worry about that much because neither really had time for a serious conversation like the one that needed to take place.

Still, it was on her mind. Whenever they were together she could tell that Nathan was noticing that she was holding back. How could he not? She saw the frustration and confusion etched on his handsome face, as much as he tried to hide it from her. He acted as though everything was fine. She knew he was doing everything he could not to pressure her.

They spent Christmas with their respective families. The Scotts all came out to California. Haley, Brooke, Julian, Peyton, and Sam went to Nebraska, though. Nebraska is where Eli James, his wife, and their two children lived. Ever since all of Jimmy and Lydia James's kids had left home, their plans for the holidays were always to get as many people as they could to the same location. This year, most people found that they could make it to Omaha, Nebraska.

Before Haley had to leave for Nebraska they spent a nice afternoon and evening together with Sam. The three exchanged gifts and Haley cooked for them. It had been perfect. It was the first time in a couple of weeks that Haley saw no signs of frustration with Nathan. Nathan hadn't enjoyed Christmas as much in several years. He liked the time with his family, especially since Dan had gone to prison. Something about spending it with Haley and Sam, though, made him feel completely right. Haley cooked a delicious meal. Nathan even asked if he could take some leftovers home with him.

Nathan got Sam a couple of video games for the Wii Brooke had gotten him for his birthday. The two spent some time trying to figure out one of the games and also boxing each other. Haley took several pictures. The image of Nathan and Sam Wii boxing was one she wanted to save. Nathan had agonized over what to get Haley. He didn't want to ask Peyton, Brooke, or even Lucas for advice. This was the first gift he had gotten for his girlfriend and it was so important for him that he get the right thing. He finally decided on a silver locket. He had it engraved with Sam's name and birthday and with some help from Peyton, he got a picture from right after Sam was born to put in it. Haley had actually cried when she saw what it was. She'd been wearing it every day for the past week.

They weren't able to spend New Year's Eve together because of a team commitment Nathan had. Haley had gone to a party that the record company had to throw. She slipped out before midnight, anxious to get back to Sam. The year before she let him stay up to watch the ball drop in Times Square. He had fallen asleep around ten o'clock, but Haley woke him up in time. They did the same thing this year.

New Year's Day Nathan was included in a tradition Haley, Peyton, and Brooke had. It was also Lucas's first year being included. Every year on New Year's Day, they would celebrate the New Year at Brooke's house. It was a small event. Haley, Sam, Brooke, Julian, Peyton, Lucas, and Nathan were the only ones there. Brooke had snacks and drinks. It was a time for all the friends to sit together and just enjoy each other's company before heading back to work after the holidays.

"So, what exactly is this?" Nathan felt touched that he was being included in a tradition that existed between Haley and the two women she considered sisters. They arrived together, hand in hand, with Sam.

"Every year on New Year's Day we get together and basically it's like brunch. Even if it isn't a Sunday. It's just a nice way to welcome the New Year. Friends and good food, no pressure. We just relax and have a good time."

"Oh, okay. Thanks for inviting me."

"Of course you're invited, Nathan. It may be small, but if someone's important to us."

"So, am I the first guy you've brought here?" Nathan was joking, he knew he was.

Haley cocked her head to one side. "Well, actually you're not." She saw Nathan's confused expression and smiled. She nodded down to Sam and the boy smiled too.

"Right. Good one, James."

"Couldn't resist." Haley opened the door to Brooke's house, letting them in herself. Sam ran down the hall to where Brooke and Peyton were in the kitchen.

"You look really good today, Nathan." He was wearing a pair of dark slacks with a light blue dress shirt, untucked so that it wasn't too formal.

"You look beautiful, Haley."

"You said that when you got to the house."

"It's still true."

"Thank you," she leaned on her tip toes and kissed him. Nathan tried deepening the kiss and at first Haley responded. She pulled away, though, and looked away. When she looked back at Nathan the frustration was back.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"About what?"

Haley ran a hand through her hair. "You know what, nevermind. Let's just go in and have a good time." Without letting Nathan respond, she took his hand and led him to Brooke's living room where the others were already gathered.

Sure enough, Brooke had an entire buffet of great food waiting for everyone. Nathan found that this event was exactly as Haley had described it. The seven of them talked and had a good time. It wasn't how Nathan usually spent the first day of a new year, but that way wasn't doing him any favors. This was something he could get used to.

A few hours after arriving Brooke, Julian, Lucas, and Peyton started a game of Scrabble. Things were getting intense during the game as Lucas had begun slowly, but was now clearly winning. Brooke's competitive spirit was not happy with that.

"You know, Lucas, I'm starting to think you're going to have to sit out Scrabble with Tutor Mom," Brooke told him after he managed a triple word score.

"Brooke, he's an author. You can't be surprised by this," Haley laughed.

"I didn't think he'd be as good as you are!"

"Why aren't you playing?" Nathan and Haley were seated on the couch watching the game. Sam was going from player to player helping each of them when he could.

"I-," Haley began.

"We banned her from playing about three years ago because none of us stood a chance against her," Peyton explained. "My boyfriend is getting ready to join her."

"Although, a game between the two of them would be worth watching," Julian speculated.

"Oh, that could be fun," Brooke agreed. "Next round. What do you say? Broody, Tutor Mom?"

"I'm in," Haley said.

"Your ass is mine," Lucas challenged.

"Hey," Nathan objected.

"Language," Haley chided.

"Sorry," both Scott brothers muttered.

"Sorry, Sam," Nathan added.

Haley liked that even though he hadn't used the word himself, Nathan specifically apologized to Sam and she reached up to kiss him. This time he was the first to pull away. Haley looked slightly hurt and it didn't go unnoticed by Nathan.

"Can I talk to you," she whispered.

He nodded and the two stood up. They quietly left the room while the others argued about whether or not the word Lucas just used actually existed. Haley led the way to a small office that Brooke had and she quietly closed the door.

"I'm sorry," she told Nathan.

He was confused. "Sorry for what?"

Haley chewed on her lip. "You're frustrated with me, I know that. We kiss and it's great, but then I stop. Now you're stopping. And I'm sorry, Nathan, I really am. I know you want more from me. I know you want more from this relationship and I'm sorry I'm not giving that to you." Haley felt that her inability to completely be with Nathan was only confirming her feelings that she wasn't enough for him.

Nathan sighed and looked down at the floor, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I'm not frustrated, Hales. Well, I am. But not for the reason you think. I just, I feel like there's more going on here than you're telling me."

"What do you mean?"

"Haley, I think you know exactly what I mean. That concert last August, when I asked you out. You said you had baggage and that I didn't want you."

"Yeah, I remember."

"I just feel like there's something in that baggage that isn't letting you be with me completely."

"I know, Nathan. That's why I told you back then and tried to get you to back off."

"But, Haley, obviously you want to be with me, right? You asked me out. You were the first one to kiss me. You want this, right?"

Haley nodded, a tear falling down her cheek.

"Please, don't cry," he moved closer to her and rubbed the tear away with his thumb.

"I'm sorry, Nathan. I know I keep saying that, but I am. I want to be enough for you."

"You are, Haley. These past two months with you, I've been so happy. I've never felt like this with anyone and I can't believe how great it is."

"But you're frustrated."

"I'm not frustrated because we're going slowly. We both agreed that was best. I'm frustrated because I think there's more to the reason we're going slowly and you don't seem to trust me enough to tell me why."

"Nathan."

"I've told you everything, Haley. Everything about me. The thing with Renee, all about Dan. You know I used to be a womanizing jackass. I trust you, I let you in. I just want you to do the same with me. I'm in this relationship for the long haul, Haley. I want to be with you. I want this to work but for that you've got to trust me."

Haley didn't know what to say. She had expected him to be frustrated because they weren't having sex. She hadn't realized that he could tell that she was holding something from him. When Haley first began getting to know Nathan, she thought that people didn't give him enough credit for what a good man he was. She now realized that she hadn't been giving him enough credit.

"Haley, I'm going to go home."

"I drove us here."

"I know. I'll take Lucas's car. One of the others can take him home."

"Nathan."

"I have a trip I leave for tomorrow night. I'll call you tomorrow, Hales. Tell Sam I said goodbye." Nathan quickly kissed her before turning.

After he left, Haley sat in the chair in Brooke's office for a while, thinking and crying. She finally left the room and tried to enjoy the rest of the day. She knew everyone else could tell that something was wrong. Nathan had to come and get Lucas's car keys and left without saying much. Haley had disappeared. Now she was withdrawn and putting on an act to make everyone think she was okay. Peyton and Brooke knew Haley and they knew that right now, they needed to give her some space.

* * *

Haley spent the rest of that night tossing and turning. She knew what was coming and she was dreading it. Nathan was a good man, though, and he needed to know. Whether she was ready or not, she needed to make herself ready. When she found out she was pregnant she was forced to work through the rape before she thought she was ready. She had to so she could take care of Sam, whether she kept him or not. Now, once again, she was forced to do something she wasn't sure she was ready for. Even if she wasn't ready for it, Nathan deserved to know.

Haley hadn't slept more than twenty minutes at a time last night. She dropped Sam off at pre-school and sat in the car for about twenty minutes before working up the courage to do what she needed to do. She drove to Nathan's house and got out of the car quickly, trying to outrun her nerve. She rang the doorbell and took two steps back while she waited for him to answer. She crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself. She looked down at her appearance. She didn't think she looked good. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail, she wore no makeup. She had on an old pair of jeans, a long-sleeved t-shirt, and a pair of black Chuck Taylor All Stars.

She could hear his feet echoing through his large house. They didn't spend much time at Nathan's house. He seemed to prefer her house. He lived in a house that could probably fit four whole families. Haley didn't know what he did with all of the space and when she asked him about it, he admitted to not knowing either.

He answered the door and she could easily tell that he was surprised to see her. Nathan really hadn't expected to see her today. He didn't know what was going to happen after their confrontation the day before. He hadn't wanted to talk to her about it like that. He actually hadn't wanted to talk to her about it at all. He was going to continue to be patient and wait for her to come to him. When she asked why he was frustrated he still resisted telling her. But then she said she wanted to be enough for him. He figured she must feel like she wasn't enough for him and everything he'd been feeling came spilling out. He didn't want to leave, but he felt he couldn't stay there and act like nothing happened.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi. Can we talk?" Her voice was low and sounded tired.

Nathan nodded and led her inside. They walked into his living room, both standing on opposite end of the sofa, not knowing what to do.

"You're right," Haley began. "I am keeping something from you."

Nathan remained silent.

"I don't know if I'm ready to tell you yet. It's not that I don't trust you, Nathan. I do, I trust you so much. It's just… I haven't told many people about this. Brooke, Peyton, my family, a few others, but only because I had to."

"Haley, whatever happened in a past relationship-"

"That's not it, Nathan. That isn't it at all. I'm going to tell you because you deserve to know. You said you're in this for the long haul, but you can't say that, Nathan."

"Haley-"

"Nathan, you can't say that until you know everything. It isn't fair to you to make that commitment unless you know everything."

"Even if it's hard for you to say?"

Haley nodded and chewed on her lip.

"What I'm going to tell you is going to change us. And I'm sorry for doing it when you're about to go away for a bit. I don't want you to be distracted when you guys have to play. But you deserve to know and if I don't do it now, I don't know when I'll have the courage to do it again."

"Haley, you don't have to. If you're not ready, it's okay." Nathan wanted her to trust him and open up to him, but he could see the anguish in her eyes. She was trying like hell to keep the tears from spilling, he could easily say that.

"I need to do this, Nathan."

He nodded and went to sit on the couch, inviting her to sit with him. Haley sat and wiped the palms of her hands on her jeans. Her hands were shaking slightly and Nathan wanted to reach over and take them in his hands, but thought maybe he shouldn't.

"You sent me a text message a couple of weeks ago because you looked up the date of that Duke-Stanford game and wanted to remind me that it had been five years since we met. The thing is, I didn't need the reminder because I'm never going to forget that date." Haley swallowed, trying to hold it together. She couldn't bring herself to look at Nathan. "That's the night I got pregnant with Sam."

Haley finally looked up at Nathan, trying to gauge his reaction. "After we met, my friend came up to me."

"I remember," Nathan softly recalled.

"After I gave Crissy my notes, I walked home. It was late and I was tired. So I decided to take a shortcut. I went this back way through campus and I heard someone behind me. He started talking and for a split second, I thought you came back." A few tears finally made their way down Haley's face. "Obviously, it wasn't you. I started walking faster. He offered to walk me home. I, uh, I tried to get away, but I didn't." Haley finally looked up at Nathan. "I was raped that night, Nathan. That's how I got pregnant. That's why Sam doesn't have a father. I told you that Sam's father wasn't in the picture and that's the truth. I got pregnant because of it, but Sam doesn't have a father. It's why I haven't really dated since then. I didn't want to until I met you. I hadn't felt like I wanted that for myself until I got to know you.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you before. I just don't know how to. I don't even know if I'm doing it right or if there's a right way to do it.

"I understand if this is the end of us, Nathan. If it is, I want you to know how much this time together has meant to me. If you want to end this, I'm not going to hold it against you. You're a really great guy, Nathan. You deserve the best."

Haley pulled her keys out of her pocket and stood up. Nathan quickly followed her and took her small hand in his larger one.

"Haley, wait."

Haley went to take her hand back, but stopped herself. She wiped a few tears from her face and looked at the man standing in front of her. She hoped that the look on his face wasn't pity, but sympathy. She didn't want to hope for much more. She meant what she said when she told him that she wouldn't blame him if he wanted to end their relationship now. She had underestimated Nathan Scott before, though. She hadn't dreamt that his frustrations in their relationship came from somewhere emotional. She thought he was frustrated sexually. She was finding him surprisingly perceptive when it came to her.

Haley, still holding Nathan's hand, took a few steps closer to him. She kissed him quickly. Nathan could taste the tears that were on her face and went to wipe them away, but she stepped back.

"I need to go, Nathan. I have to. I'm sorry. And I need you to take some time and really think about what you want. I need you to think about whether or not I'm too screwed up for you. I really am sorry for laying this all on you before you have to play."

Haley quickly turned and nearly sprinted out of Nathan's house. He was left standing in his living room. He sank into the sofa, his hands resting on his knees. His fingers grazed over his lips, which were still damp with Haley's tears. He felt lost and confused when Haley was shutting him out. Now that he knew the entire story, he felt even more lost and confused.

Haley drove a few miles away from Nathan's house before pulling over into a nearly empty parking lot. She didn't even notice where she was, she just parked her car in the corner of the lot, next to some high shrubs. Haley wrapped her arms around her body and cried. She let out one sob after another. She didn't want to run away from Nathan. She wanted to wait and find out what he was going to do. The ball was in his court, so to speak. He had all of the control now and she hated not knowing what was going on. His decision had the potential to break her heart.

Haley began to realize that perhaps she should have listened to Peyton and Brooke when they told her that she should have told Nathan sooner. At this point, she was so involved in the relationship that if he decided to end things she didn't know what she was going to do. Go on, raise Sam – obviously. Make music – maybe. But she had been happy the past couple of months. Nathan came out of nowhere and was completely changing her world. While the ways in which they changed her life were different, Haley couldn't help but think that the only person who had changed her life to the same degree that Nathan had was Sam. And both were able to do it in such a short amount of time.

She knew that when something big happened in her life, something so drastic concerning her attack, that she should immediately go to a counseling session. They had always helped in the past. For now, though, Haley just wanted to be alone. Just her and Sam, like it had always been. When Nathan had taken her hand and asked her to wait she felt a small glimmer of hope that maybe he wasn't going to end their relationship. She knew, though, that what she told him was going to alter them and that he needed to take time and really think about what was going to happen between them now.

Haley's sobs continued and she found that she was having trouble breathing. She opened the door of her car, getting fresh air in her lungs. As soon as the air hit her, though, she doubled over in her seat and dry heaved onto the asphalt. She wasn't sure how long it took, but she eventually calmed herself down enough to drive.

Haley drove all day, going nowhere in particular, until it was time to pick up Sam. She managed to clean herself up a little bit before he saw her. She didn't want to scare him. When she looked in the vanity mirror on her car's visor she could see that her eyes were red and much of her face was puffy. She managed a small chuckle when she thought of Brooke's reaction to how terrible she looked.

She could tell that Sam knew something was wrong with his mother. He was a perceptive child when it came to his mother. Lydia James had always said that it was because the two of them had an uncommon bond. Peyton and Brooke had been a strong presence on Sam's life even before he was born, but nothing could compare to how close Sam and Haley were. The fact that Sam could sense something was off about his mother and that he was being especially affectionate toward her warmed her heart and did actually alleviate some of the pain Haley was feeling.

She stayed in Sam's room that night as he slept. Still in the clothes she'd been in all day, she was exhausted and fell asleep holding Sam in his small bed. As she was drifting off and trying to fight sleep, Haley's mind replayed everything that had happened. She was trying to decipher the look on Nathan's face. She knew him, but she didn't want to assume what his next step would be. That could possibly end in heartbreak. If she hoped and he left, then it would be even worse.

She also realized something. She'd had a strong reaction, to say the least, to her confession. In part it was because telling him about the rape had been hard. Honestly, it was one of the hardest things she'd ever done. She told him that she'd only told a few people knew. Peyton, Brooke, her family, and the people she'd met in counseling. To willingly tell someone was a big step for her. But another reason she'd had such a strong, nearly violently ill reaction to the day's events was because of what could happen. Haley didn't want to lose Nathan and she felt that she very well could.

With that uncertainty weighing on her mind, she snuggled in closer to her son. She breathed in his sent and wrapped her arm around him. Finally, so exhausted from the emotional toll of the day, she fell asleep.

* * *

**Note:** Phew. You were all hoping this would happen soon. I hope it doesn't feel like I rushed into it. There's still a lot coming up for Nathan and Haley. Thanks for reading and for your reviews.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** That last chapter was hard to write and so was this one. Lots of emotions. Thank you again for reading and reviewing! I'm so glad you understood why Haley didn't want to talk to Nathan right away.

* * *

Nathan packed his clothes into his small suitcase. He looked around the hotel room to see if he'd forgotten anything. He looked at the cell phone sitting on the night stand. He'd been tempted to pick it up each time he looked at it. He was constantly checking it to see if Haley had called. He didn't want to leave things the way they did. He wanted to talk to her right away. He knew, though, that if she said she needed space and needed him to think, that she was telling him the truth.

He'd done just that. His game had been off, but he tried his best. He hoped she hadn't been watching because he didn't want her to feel guilty for affecting his game. She had enough to deal with. His mind was constantly on her and what she had told him three days ago. He really couldn't think of anything else.

Several scenarios had played through Nathan's head when he thought about what could have possibly happened to make Haley so reluctant to fully commit to their relationship. Mostly, he believed that Sam's father must have cheated on Haley. Once or twice he wondered if perhaps the son of a bitch had hit her. The thought that she'd been raped had never occurred to him. He could have never guessed that that was the reason she was closed off. So many things made sense. She'd been so resolute when she said that Sam's father wasn't in the picture. Even at Thanksgiving, Peyton had been so firm when she assured Deb that Sam's father wouldn't be entering the picture. Peyton had also said that it wasn't her place to tell the whole story. Now Nathan knew why.

He knew she wouldn't be calling him. She specifically wanted him to think and he was going to have to go to her. That would have to wait until he was back in Los Angeles, though. After a few days on the road with the team, Nathan was now preparing to go home.

Lucas had noticed the poor performance Nathan had been giving on the court and asked him what was going on. He even asked if it had to do with Haley. He mentioned that Peyton seemed worried about Haley. Knowing that their friends were worried about Haley caused Nathan to feel guilty. Nathan felt like he was going crazy not resolving this situation as quickly as possible. He felt like the right thing to do would have been to go after her, to show up on her doorstep that very night, and then explain to her how he felt about this situation.

But, he also knew Haley was completely right when she said that he needed to think. She was completely right when she said that this was going to change their entire relationship. She was right when she said that she came with a lot of baggage. Two things kept hitting Nathan as his thoughts stampeded through his head. One was that he would have never in a million years guessed. Haley looked like she had everything together about her. She took care of her son, she had a great career, and she had great friends. She looked happy. She looked well adjusted. She was happy and well adjusted to him, though. To him, she never once looked like a victim.

* * *

The smell of ginger and cinnamon was the first thing that Peyton and Brooke noticed when they let themselves into Haley's house. They hadn't seen her for four days. They hadn't heard from her in three days. She'd left messages with Millie saying that she wouldn't be coming in. She had sent them text message telling them that she was sick. They would try and call, but she wouldn't answer. They would leave text messages asking if she needed anything. Her responses were always one word. No.

Four days was long enough for this to be going on. Brooke marched into Peyton and Haley's office that day and was about to tell Peyton that they'd be going to Haley's. Peyton beat her to it. The minute she saw Brooke she announced that they'd be driving to Haley's house.

Now they were there and could smell that Haley had been baking. They didn't really find anything strange about that. Haley was good with baking and having a four year-old she did it often. Knowing she was baking, they knew that the first place to look for Haley would be the kitchen. Sure enough, she was there. Torn jeans, sneakers, hoodie, and an apron. Hair up in a messy bun. No makeup. They watched her work through her kitchen, going through the ingredients she had laid out on the counter. Despite the electric mixer a few feet away from her on the counter, Haley was furiously mixing something in a bowl by hand.

"Haley?" Brooke tentatively took a few steps toward Haley. She didn't want to startle her. Haley obviously hadn't heard them come in and was lost in her own world.

She looked up when she heard Brooke's voice. Seeing Brooke and Peyton, Haley tried to straighten her stance and mustered a small smile. She tried to appear as normal as possible. She didn't want them catching on that something was going on with her.

"We haven't seen you since New Year's Day. We just wanted to see how you were," Brooke explained.

"Fine." Haley's response came out quickly. Realizing how it may have sounded, she threw in a smile.

Peyton looked at the small table in Haley's kitchen. On the table were an assortment of cookies and two pies. Apparently, Haley had been baking for a while.

"Haley, have you been baking all day?"

"Yeah." Again, a one word answer.

Peyton and Brooke exchanged a worried glance.

"Uh, where's Sam?" Peyton stepped further into the kitchen. Brooke followed.

"School."

Peyton looked at the flour and batter splattered on Haley's apron and on her face. They were still only getting one word answers out of Haley, so Peyton decided she needed to be blunt. "Haley, the last time you baked up a storm like this was the day you found out you were pregnant. Don't tell us you're fine. Cut the crap and tell us what's going on. You know we're not going away until you talk about it so we can help you."

"Is it Nathan? What's going on, Haley?" Brooke was now standing right next to Haley. Her designer heel was resting in a glop of dough that had landed on the floor during Haley's baking. Brooke placed a comforting hand on Haley's shoulder.

Haley turned toward the counter. She set the bowl down and placed both hands on the surface of the counter. She bit her lip and sucked in a breath and closed her eyes. She was doing everything she could to keep herself together. She didn't want to let Brooke and Peyton see her like this. She wasn't ready for that. Later, after she talked to Nathan, she would tell them everything. Not now, though. She knew she could trust them. She was closer to them than she was to Taylor and Taylor was her own sister. Peyton and Brooke had been with Haley through everything. They'd seen her in worse shape than this. They'd seen her when she was bloody, battered, bruised, and broken. They'd seen her sweating and crying through the pain of child birth. They'd seen everything. This was new territory for Haley.

She swallowed and gripped the counter with more force. She noticed her knuckles turning white and let go. Standing up straight, she wiped some of the hair out of her face and attempted to wipe some of the flour from her cheek. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She shook her head and tried again.

"I can't," she said, managing to speak without her voice breaking.

"What do you mean you can't?" Peyton had joined Brooke standing right next to Haley.

"I love you both, you know that." Now that Haley had managed to speak without breaking, she was finding it easier. "I will tell you everything. I promise. Not now, though. Please, just let me do this."

"Haley, we are really worried about you," Brooke told her friend.

Haley looked at Brooke and hugged her. She then turned to Peyton and hugged her. "I'm fine. Sam and I are fine. I just need to do this. Please?"

"You're not gonna tell us what 'this' is," Peyton declared.

Haley shook her head. "I just need to be with Sam right now."

Brooke nodded and stepped away. "We just wanted to come by and check on you."

"I love you guys for that."

"You call us if you need anything. No matter what time it is," Peyton offered.

"I know. You guys are always my first call."

"I don't like leaving you like this," Brooke admitted.

"I know. I need you to, though." Haley knew that if they stayed, she'd tell them everything. She just wanted the entire situation resolved before she talked about it, though. She was going crazy not talking to anyone.

With one more concerned look at their friend, Brooke and Peyton turned and left.

Brooke didn't say a word as they were driving away from Haley's. Peyton assumed they'd be going back to the office and was surprised when Brooke didn't turn in that direction.

"Where are we going?"

"To talk to your boyfriend," Brooke stated.

* * *

They barged into Lucas's house as soon as they got there, which was quickly with Brooke behind the wheel. Lucas was in his office writing when he heard them come in.

He squinted when he saw them, confused. Brooke had flour on her jacket. Lucas had never seen her with anything on her clothes that she didn't put there herself.

"What are you two doing here?"

"What did your jackass brother do to Haley?"

"Brooke, calm down, we don't even know if Nathan did anything," Peyton tried to calm her down.

"There's a good chance this has to do with him. Haley's been off for days doing God knows what. This started on New Year's Day when Nathan left quickly. You know something was wrong with her after that. Now he's out of town and we don't see her until today when we go over there and find her giving Betty Crocker a run for her money!"

Lucas put up his hands in surrender. "I don't know what's going on, but I think it does have something to do with Nathan."

"Spill," Brooke demanded. She marched into Lucas's living room and took a seat in his favorite arm chair.

"Brooke, I usually sit there," Lucas said.

"Do I look like I care?"

"Just go with it, sweetie," Peyton encouraged him.

"Fine, fine." Lucas and Peyton took a seat on the couch. "Something's up with Nathan too. I know what you mean about New Year's Day. I tried calling and asking him about it. He's been playing like crap too. His head isn't in the game, it's somewhere else."

"He hasn't mentioned anything about Haley?" Peyton put her hand on Lucas's arm.

Lucas shook his head. "He didn't mention much on the phone. Seemed like he didn't want to talk. You're really worried about her?"

* * *

Haley finished baking and took a shower. She'd managed to get a lot of baking done. She'd woken up at four o'clock that morning and hadn't been able to sleep. The only break she'd taken was to drop Sam off at school. Now that she'd showered, though, she needed to get out of the house. She walked into the same building she'd walked into dozens of times before throughout the years. She timidly walked up to the receptionist.

"Haley," the woman smiled warmly, greeting her. "There's no group scheduled for today."

"I know. I was just wondering if Viv was here?"

The woman nodded. "She's in her office. Go ahead."

Haley nodded a thank you and walked down the hallway. She reached a plain looking wooden door and knocked three times. A voice beckoned her inside.

"Haley. We haven't seen you here in a bit. How've you been?"

"Um. Okay. I was wondering if you had some time to talk."

"One on one?"

Haley nodded.

"Have a seat." Viv sat back down and waited for Haley to sit. She remained silent, waiting for Haley to begin. The center had an open door policy. There were group sessions, but there was also always a counselor on hand for more private discussions if necessary.

Haley bit on her lip and looked out the window. It was raining. January was one of the few months in Los Angeles when any significant amount of rain fell. Haley watched as the rain hit the cars outside in the parking lot. She absentmindedly brought her hand just underneath her left eye, feeling the faint scar there.

"Do you remember that guy I told you about in group? The one I was interested in dating."

"Yes."

"We've been dating for two months now. We were friends for months before that. We became such good friends it almost feels like we've been going out for longer than we actually have. And it's been great, all of it. He's been so patient with me. But I hadn't told him everything about me. I could tell he was getting frustrated. I thought it was because we weren't having sex, but then he told me it was because he could tell I wasn't being completely open with him. He could tell there was something I was keeping from him. We got into a fight about it.

"He deserved to know about the rape. I had to tell him. He said he was in this for the long haul and I knew he couldn't make that commitment to me unless he knew everything. It wasn't fair. So, I told him."

"How did he react?"

"I don't know. I left before he could talk."

"Why did you do that, Haley? This is an important conversation that you two need to have."

"I know; which is why I didn't think we were ready to have it yet. I told him this would change us and I want him to take time to really think about things. I don't want his reaction response. I want him to really think about if he wants to take this on."

"What do you want him to do?"

Haley laughed without amusement. "I want him to hold me and tell me he's okay with how screwed up I am. I want him to tell me we can still work this out and still be together. But I'm trying so hard not to hope for that. I won't blame him if he ends our relationship. It's a lot to put on a guy."

"It is. Are you in love with him?"

Haley's head shot up. She wasn't expecting that question. She hadn't even asked herself that question. She was so focused on them resolving the issue at hand. She knew she had fallen hard for Nathan, but she hadn't let herself use the word love yet.

"We'll move on. When do you think you two will discuss this?"

Haley shrugged. "He's been out of town for work. He comes home today."

* * *

Haley drove home after talking to Viv and felt somewhat relieved. She was still worried about what was going to happen with Nathan, but she felt better having spoken to someone. She felt comfortable around Viv right from the beginning. She wondered if maybe that had to do with the woman sharing a similar name with Haley's oldest sister.

Haley pulled into her driveway and stopped before pulling her car into the garage. She noticed him out of the corner of her eye. He was sitting on the bench on the porch. His elbows were on his knees and his head was down. Haley tried to calm herself down. She immediately felt her hands get sweaty and felt knots in her stomach. She pulled her car into the garage and went inside the house through the door in the garage. She took a few moments to gather her courage and try and appear normal before opening the front door.

She opened the door slowly, peaking out as the door opened wider. He was now standing. In his left hand was a small bouquet of the same purple flowers he'd brought her on their first date. Seeing the flowers, she couldn't help the feeling of hope welling up inside of her. She stood looking at him, not sure what was going to happen. The rain was still coming down and he was slightly damp from the walk from his car to the porch. Haley couldn't help but notice how good he looked. She opened the door wider and without a word let him in the house.

They stood a few feet apart from each other in the entry way for several moments before either spoke. Nathan extended his left hand, handing her the flowers. She took them and held them close to her chest, trying not to look at him. She did look, though, and she thought he looked a little cold.

"I'll make some coffee," she said softly.

Nathan nodded and followed her into the kitchen. He leaned against the door jamb and watched as she placed the flowers in a vase with some water. He watched as she made coffee for them. He could see that she was a bundle of nerves. He was too, but he was pretty sure he was doing a better job of not showing it. He noticed as she put coffee in the filter that her hands were slightly shaking. His heart ached to make it better for her.

"I'm not going anywhere," he announced. Haley stopped what she was doing and looked up at him. Her eyes were wide with shock. "As long as you'll have me, I'm not going anywhere. We need to talk, but I'm not going anywhere, Haley."

A few tears fell from Haley's eyes and she couldn't help the smile that came to her face. It was the first genuine smile she'd had since New Year's Day. She didn't say anything as she continued making the coffee. Nathan could tell that his words had a calming effect on her and he was glad for that. He meant it. He was going to tell her that right after she told him, but as he thought during his time away he realized that she had the right idea. He needed time to really think about what was going on between them.

Haley was the first real girlfriend Nathan had and this wasn't going to be a typical relationship. Nathan could tell that Haley was still healing and he was going to have to be patient.

Haley finished with the coffee and carried two cups into the living room. She set them on the coffee table and turned on the lamp on the end table. It was the middle of the day, but because of the rain it wasn't that bright in the house.

"I'm sorry I sprung this on you before you left. I hope you weren't too distracted during your games."

"We won," Nathan didn't want to tell her that he had been distracted and hadn't played well. It seemed like she hadn't watched.

"I'm glad."

"Haley, I'm just glad you trusted me enough to tell me this. I wanted to stop you right away when you told me. I wanted to tell you that we'd be okay. But you were right, we needed time to think. I needed time to think."

Haley felt so relieved, but she still needed to be sure. "Nathan, I was serious when I said I wouldn't hold it against you if you wanted to end things with me. This is a lot to put on you."

"I was just as serious when I told you that I wasn't going anywhere. So, just stop worrying, Hales." Nathan smiled and tried to lighten the mood. "The other day I told you how happy I've been these past couple of months with you. I don't think I'd be this happy with anyone else. I thought you were an amazing woman before you told me what happened and I still think you are. Actually, now I think you're even more amazing."

"Nathan, I'm not-"

"Yes, you are. Haley, you're so strong. You're just amazing. You came through this and I know you think you're screwed up, but I don't see that when I see you. I don't see a victim or anything. I see someone who survived and is raising a beautiful little boy and who loves him with everything in her even if he came about because of something so shitty. I don't know how you do it."

Haley felt the chills run down her spine hearing his words. She never dreamt he'd react like this. Once again, she hadn't given Nathan enough credit.

"You're the woman who makes me happy. You're the woman who has made me look forward to something other than basketball for the first time in my life. You're the woman I'm in love with."

Nathan stopped and looked at Haley. He'd never seen her look more surprised. He decided to speak again before she could stop him. "You don't have to say it back. I don't even know if you feel the same way. I know you care about me. Like I said, as long as you'll have me I'm here. Just know that I'm in love with you. That's what I thought about while I was out of town. Or, really, that's what I realized after I thought about everything you said to me."

"Nathan," Haley was crying again.

"I'm not trying to scare you away. I just wanted you to know. I've never said that to anyone before, but I'm saying it to you. So, if you still want me to be your boyfriend-"

Haley laughed. "I've spent days wondering if you'd still want me in your life and now you're asking me if I want you? Yeah, I want this Nathan. So much it scares me."

Nathan was relieved and smiled. He scooted so he was sitting closer to Haley. "So, where does this leave us?"

Haley bit down on her lip and played with the ring on her pinky finger. "I was worried that you were frustrated because we weren't having sex. Nathan, I haven't been with someone since the rape. That was the first and only time. I don't know when I'll be ready. I'd like to be ready; I just don't know when it'll happen. I do know that I like kissing you and as juvenile as it seems, that's a really big step for me."

Nathan nodded. "I like kissing you too. At the risk of sounding cheesy, when it's right for you then it'll be right for us as a couple."

"You're sure you're okay waiting?"

"I am, Hales. I'm not going to lie and tell you I don't want to make love to you. But I'm not going to pressure you. Besides, most of my relationships, if you could call them that, with women have been about nothing but sex. We'll try something new and make this all about us on an emotional level instead. It's that kind of thing that made me fall in love with you anyway."

Haley looked at him, bewildered. "Where did you come from?"

Nathan laughed. "This isn't who I used to be, but you're worth it."

"You're too good to be true. I wonder if I'm going to have to pinch myself to wake myself up."

"I think I can do better than that." Nathan scooted closer and lightly brushed his hand across her cheek. She closed her eyes, reveling in the contact. He leaned in and kissed her softly. "Still think you might be dreaming?"

"It's possible, but if I am I'd rather stay asleep." Haley moved herself so she was sitting next to Nathan. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders as she sat leaning against him.

"Hales, do you mind if I ask some questions?"

"No. I figured you might have some. Fire away."

"Did they catch him?"

Haley was silent before answering. She remembered going in for the lineup and seeing him for the first time since that night. "Yes. Not long after it happened. He left DNA and I identified him in a lineup. He was convicted."

"So, he's in jail?"

"No."

"No?"

"No. The day he was supposed to be sentenced he got into a fight in jail. He's dead."

"So, when you said Sam's father wasn't in the picture."

Haley sat up and looked at Nathan. "Sam doesn't have a father. That person isn't his father. He never was. But yeah, not in the picture and never will be."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I mean-"

"It's okay, Nathan," Haley settled back into her position sitting and being held by Nathan. "That's the day I found out I was pregnant. I had an appointment after his sentencing because after you have to be tested periodically for diseases."

"You're fine?"

"I'm fine. Clean bill of health. I finished with testing after a year."

"I really hate that you had to go through that, Hales. I really, really hate it. It makes me angry that someone did that to you."

"Thanks." She rested her hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. His arm around her held her tighter. Haley felt more secure and content than she had in days. This was the first time they'd ever really held each other.

"The scar under your eye?"

"He hit me."

Nathan kissed the top of Haley's head. "So, that's why you weren't sure if you were going to raise Sam?"

Nathan felt Haley nod. "I never considered an abortion. I couldn't punish a child because of how he was conceived. While he was in there I just fell in love with him."

"You're a great mother."

Nathan and Haley spent the rest of the afternoon discussing things. He asked questions and she answered them. Eventually, he stopped asking and she just started offering information. She told him all about how Brooke and Peyton had been there for her throughout the entire ordeal. She explained that that was the reason why the two were so protective over her. She told him about how she still regularly went to counseling sessions. Healing was a process and she told him that she knew she still had to work at it. He assured her he would be patient. In turn, he asked her to be patient with him. Being in a relationship was new to him and he didn't want to mess it up, but he also knew that it was entirely possible no matter how hard he tried. Nathan insisted that when it came to their physical relationship that Haley be the one to set the pace. He would take his cues from her.

Eventually, it was time to go pick up Sam from school. Haley invited Nathan to come with her and to have pizza afterward. As they were walking out, Nathan decided to bring something up he'd wanted to ask for a while now.

"Haley, there's a game coming up this weekend. It's in the afternoon. I was just wondering if you and Sam would want to come? I know we haven't been really out as a couple and sitting in the stands, the press still might not catch on. But they could, so I get it if you don't want to."

"We'd love to," she answered, cutting off his rambling.

"Great. I'd really love to have you both there. And Luke will be there too, he can explain everything. I can get seats for Brooke and Julian too. It can be a group thing. Then it might take the press even longer to catch on."

"I don't mind if they do," she told him seriously. "I've told you everything, we're out in the open with each other. I don't want us flaunting everything, but if the press catches us out seeing a movie and holding hands, then so what?"

Nathan smiled and took Haley's hand in his. She went to open the door leading from the house to the garage.

"Do you want to be my date to the Golden Globes? I have to go since I'm nominated."

"Wear a tux, walk the carpet with you? I'd love to."

Haley smiled and closed the door once they were in the garage. He walked over to the passenger side of the car and Haley watched him. He just looked like he belonged there. She thought about everything that had happened that afternoon, from finding him on her porch with flowers to hearing him tell her he loved her to their agreeing to make their relationship public. Deciding to take a chance, she walked over to where he was on the passenger side of the car. He looked at her confused. She took both of his large hands in her smaller ones.

"I'm so in love with you it scares me. I'm so in love with you that I've been going crazy these past few days thinking we might be breaking up. I love you, Nathan Scott. I know you said I didn't need to say it back, but you were wrong. I needed to say it back." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him with more passion than she'd ever kissed him with before. She pulled away reluctantly, knowing if she didn't they'd be late picking up Sam. They got in the car and left, but kept stealing glances at each other when they could.

* * *

**Note:** Phew. I hope you all enjoyed that. We've got some lighthearted chapters coming up. I could easily end this story here, but I have some more drama coming up. Some of it directly taken from the show, but taking place in the world I have them in. A lot of it is based in Haley's healing process. That's basically the journey this story is taking, along with Nathan's place in her healing process. It's a big place. ;) Again, thank you for reading!


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Disclaimer: **One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Things are much more lighthearted in this one. I hope you enjoy it. I can't believe we're at nearly two hundred reviews! I never imagined that would happen. Thank you for all the support.

* * *

The rain was still falling and the house was dark despite the new day. Haley sat on her sofa and tucked her feet underneath her, reaching for her phone. The rain hadn't really let up since it began the day before. Haley was finding that she didn't mind. Occasionally, good things happened when it rained. Yesterday, good things happened when it rained. Haley smiled before she began her call. She was feeling giddy. Nathan had come over for breakfast that morning with her and Sam. The two had dropped him off at school before Nathan left for practice. It had been a good morning. It felt so natural now, being able to greet each other with a kiss and tell each other "I love you" before leaving.

Haley felt light and, more than that, she felt happy. Compared to twenty-four hours earlier, Haley couldn't believe the change in her. She dreaded seeing Nathan yesterday. She really wasn't going to hold it against him if he broke up with her, but she knew now that since she was in love with him, it would have broken her heart. She didn't expect him to confess to being in love with her. The thought that Nathan could possibly be in love with her never even crossed her mind. When they were walking to her car after agreeing to go public with their relationship, she basked in the feeling of being in his arms and being assured by him that this was a long term relationship that had a future. It was then that she was able to completely answer Viv's question. She was in love with Nathan. He'd had the courage to tell her, so she told him.

Haley knew the weight of telling someone that you loved them. It was why she had never told any of her previous boyfriends that she loved them. She didn't love them, so there was no reason to say it. She loved telling Sam that she loved him. She wanted him to know. She needed Sam to know how loved he was. She discovered within less than one day that she also loved telling Nathan that she loved him. He had such a look of peace on his face when he heard her say those three words.

"Hi, mom," Haley said when her mother picked up the phone.

"Haley Bob! How are you, sweetie?"

"I'm good. I'm really good."

"Well, what brings on this call?"

"I have some news for you."

"Is it better than the Golden Globe nomination? Because that was wonderful. We're throwing a party for some of the neighbors. We're going to line the TV screen with plastic wrap, though. In case you don't win, we want to be able to throw things at the TV without ruining it."

Haley laughed. "It's better than the Golden Globe nomination. At least I think it is."

"Well then I can't wait to hear it!"

Haley chewed on her lip and smiled. She could feel a blush creeping onto her cheeks. "I'm seeing someone."

Haley's confession was met with silence. "Mom?"

"I'll call you right back, Haley Bob."

Haley looked at the phone after her mother hung up on her. That wasn't the reaction she'd expected at all. Haley took the opportunity to get up and gather her things. She'd be going into work today for the first time since right before Christmas. She felt terrible for having not gone in. She knew Peyton had been taking care of everything. She also knew that if there had been any trouble that Peyton wouldn't tell her about it. Haley was going in today, though. She had a few sheets of music with half songs written on them ready to go in her bag. Her guitar was sitting in the entryway and Haley was looking forward to getting it out if its case and playing it again.

Haley's phone rang and she glanced at the caller ID before answering. "Hey, mom. What was that?"

"We're all here, now share your news."

"What do you mean all here?"

A chorus of hellos was heard on the other end of the line as Haley realized that both of her parents and each of her siblings were all on the phone.

"Really? At this particular moment you all were able to take mom's call?"

"Not really," Vivian admitted, "but she wouldn't take no for an answer."

"Your mom said you had news," Jimmy mentioned. "Well, what is it?"

Haley sighed and walked back over to the sofa. She had a feeling this was going to be a longer conversation than she anticipated. "I'm seeing someone."

Again, she was met with silence. "You aren't going to hang up on me again, are you?"

"That Nathan guy Ned mentioned at Thanksgiving," Eli guessed.

"Yeah. Nathan," Haley confirmed.

"I Googled him," Vivian said. "Not bad, Hales."

"Please," Taylor scoffed. "He's a total man whore!"

Haley felt herself getting angry. "Not anymore, Taylor. I told you that at Thanksgiving. He's a good man."

"I'm just telling you what I read," Taylor excused herself.

"I'm telling you to watch it. You don't know him. So, trust my judgment. You think I'd be going out with someone like that?"

"You know she's right, Tay." This time it was Seth who spoke. Seth was the youngest of the James boys and was reserved. He and Haley had always gotten along well. In a lot of ways, Lucas reminded her of Seth.

"If Haley's telling us she has a boyfriend then this guy must be someone worth knowing," Quinn defended the man who'd gotten her sister to date.

"I'm just trying to look out for her," Taylor said.

"Sure you are," Ned added.

"Would you all stop arguing," Lydia interrupted. "I want juicy details. How long have you two been going out?"

"A couple of months."

There was more silence.

"So," Jimmy began, "when you were here for Thanksgiving and then again at Christmas, you had a boyfriend and didn't tell us?"

Haley could tell from her father's tone that he wasn't serious, but that didn't stop her from feeling guilty.

"I was waiting."

"For what? If he's a great guy, Hales…," Quinn began.

"I needed to wait to see what was going to happen. I just… needed to be sure."

Her mother spoke next. "Sure of what, sweetie?"

Haley chose her words carefully. It felt weird to her having this conversation with each of her siblings at once. As a family, they hadn't discussed Haley's rape as an entire unit. Throughout the past five years, a few of her siblings had asked questions. Her parents didn't need to since they were with her during those first few weeks. Haley was definitely feeling awkward.

"You know, it's a little strange telling all of you at once that I have a boyfriend," Haley said before explaining why she waited to tell them.

"Aww, she said boyfriend. But you're stalling, baby sis," Eli teased.

"She was waiting to see how Nathan would react when she told him… everything," Ned answered for her.

Everyone on the other end was silent for a moment.

"You told him," her father stated. "How did he take it?"

Haley brought her thumb to her lips and chewed on the nail before answering. "He took it better than I told it."

"You okay, Haley Bob?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm great," she enthused. She really was feeling great. She couldn't stop smiling since the night before. She decided to change the subject, though. Talking about her boyfriend with her mom and sisters was one thing, but with her dad and brothers around? That wasn't something she was that interested in doing. What woman would? "Anyway, Sam and I are going to Nathan's game this weekend. He's also going with me to the Golden Globes. So, we've stayed out of the press until now, but they're going to start talking. I wanted to give you guys the heads up."

"So," Ned started, "you only called to tell us because the rest of the world is about to find out?"

"No. I called to share some really good news. You're always teasing me about dating. Or, at least some of you are."

"Like me,' Quinn volunteered.

"Exactly, like Quinny. Anyway, I have to get to work."

Haley's family teased her a little more before they were all finally able to hang up. Haley shook her head. A conversation between nine people on the phone wasn't something she was expecting. She thought she'd tell her mom and maybe her dad and then news would spread from there. She wouldn't have her family any other way, though. They were sometimes chaotic, but they always had each other's best interest in mind. Without the upbringing she had with the family she had, she may not have been able to love Sam so completely.

* * *

Haley walked out of the elevator and into her office. She carried her guitar, her head was held high, and the smile was still plastered on her face. She noticed Peyton behind her desk going through some paperwork.

"Morning, Peyton!" Haley set her guitar case down next to her own desk. She picked up the rather sizable stack of mail waiting for her. She began sorting through it, putting it into organized piles by what needed to be answered first.

Peyton looked at Haley. This was a very different Haley than the one she'd seen the day before. Peyton picked up her cell phone and sent a quick text message. Peyton continued watching as Haley sorted through her mail. She noticed the smile on Haley's face; it was impossible to miss. Haley soon began humming a tune that Peyton didn't recognize. Peyton glanced toward the hallway that led from their office to the elevator, wondering where Brooke was.

"New song?"

Haley looked up from the mail at Peyton, "Hmm? Oh, maybe. Still feeling my way through it."

"Uh huh," Peyton nodded. "Good to see you here today."

Haley walked across the room and leaned against Peyton's desk. "About that, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to leave you hanging here, Peyt. My head was just… in a weird place."

Before Haley could continue, Brooke walked into the office. Peyton's text message had simply said that Haley was there. Brooke and Peyton hadn't planned on pushing Haley anymore about what was going on; they knew her well enough to know that wouldn't get them anywhere. Neither expected to see Haley in the office; not after the condition they saw her in the previous day. She'd been a mess and now it was a complete one-eighty turn. Like Peyton, Brooke noticed how happy Haley looked. Brooke looked at Peyton for an explanation, but Peyton just shrugged. Haley noticed the exchange between the two. They had been friends long enough to know each other's body language.

"I owe you two an explanation," Haley declared.

"Yeah, we weren't going to push it, but since you mention it," Peyton responded.

"I would love to hear what the hell is going on," Brooke added. "We have been worried, Tutor Girl."

"I know, and I am so sorry about that." Haley turned and sat on the sofa. Brooke and Peyton followed her and sat.

"Spill, girlie. You know you can tell us anything," Peyton told her.

"I feel really bad for not opening up to the two of you. I know you guys are there for me for everything, I know I can always come to you, and I trust you both more than anyone."

"We know and I think that's why we've been so worried," Brooke confessed.

Haley bit her lip. "You know, New Year's Day Nathan and I had an argument. Sort of an argument. He seemed frustrated and I thought it was because we weren't… you know."

"Yeah, not having sex, we've got it," Brooke interrupted.

"Yeah. Turns out he was frustrated because he could tell I wasn't being completely open with him."

"Wow. Score one for Nate." Peyton was impressed.

"I know. I felt bad and I really couldn't think of anything else. So, I told him. Everything," Haley admitted.

"Oh God, no wonder." Peyton now realized just why Haley was such a mess. She and Brooke both knew that Haley didn't really volunteer that bit of information.

"What did he do?" Brooke put a comforting hand on Haley's arm.

"I left. I wanted him to take a few days to think about it and decide what he wanted to do. He came home yesterday and we're good. We're better than good, we're great." Haley blushed and covered her face with her hand. "Guys, I'm in love with him. I am so far gone. I hate being away from him; I think about him constantly."

"Wow," both Peyton and Brooke said in unison.

"So, does he feel the same way?"

Haley nodded. "He told me before I told him."

"Wow. You're in love," Peyton marveled. "So, uh, your reaction yesterday."

"I was trying so hard to hold it together. I just… I thought that… I thought that being raped, that I was done with that taking things from me. But then I thought that I could honestly lose Nathan, this great guy who I am head over heels for, because of that. And I wouldn't have blamed him. I told him that. But the thought of it was still tearing me up inside. Just to think that I finally take a chance on this and I meet this amazing guy and then it would be taken away. I would have been okay. It wouldn't have ruined me, I guess."

"You're too strong for that," Brooke said.

"I guess the realization that this could cost me something else just hit me really hard."

"Did you go to counseling?"

Haley nodded.

"Did it help?"

"It helped to talk about it. You both know I love you, but with this sometimes it just helps to talk to someone who doesn't know me any other way."

"We know that. Don't worry about it. You know we always just want you to do what you need to do to be okay," Brooke said.

"I do." Haley decided to change the subject. "We need to talk about my gown for the Golden Globes because now I have a date."

Brooke jumped up from the sofa excitedly and ran out of the office.

"Where is she going?"

"She's been sketching for you," Peyton explained.

Haley smiled. Things couldn't possibly be going any better than they were right now. She had great friends. She still felt bad about not confiding in Brooke and Peyton, but she knew they understood. She didn't know what she'd do without them. They were her rocks. When she couldn't count on anything or anyone else, she had Peyton and Brooke.

And now she had Nathan. She knew he said he hadn't been a great guy in the past, but that wasn't the man that she knew. The man she knew was kind, gentle, and patient. That was the man she'd fallen in love with despite trying not to. She didn't even want to try and get to know him, but she did and now she couldn't imagine not having this person in her life. Much to her surprise, she now also found herself looking forward to going to a basketball game. She'd enjoyed watching him play on television, but this would be the first time she got to watch him in person. She was really excited about it.

* * *

The lights in the Staples Center dimmed as a spotlight shined on the court. Haley, Sam, Lucas, Peyton, Brooke, and Julian all had prime seats on the floor. They'd be able to see everything. Sam stood on his seat as each player was introduced. He excitedly watched for Nathan, wearing a number twenty-three Scott jersey. When Nathan came out, both Sam and Haley cheered enthusiastically. Haley looked across the court and noticed a large group of press photographers and cameras capturing every moment. She knew they might get a shot of her and they might question her presence and her son's attire. But she also took comfort knowing that their priority was to keep track of the game.

From the center of the court Nathan noticed Haley sitting right where he knew her seat would be. He smiled at her and nodded. He was nervous. He hadn't experienced nerves much in his professional basketball career. But now the woman he loved was there on the sidelines watching him and he was nervous. He always wanted to play well and do his best for the team, but now he wanted her to be proud of him.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer's voice boomed throughout the arena. "Please stand for the National Anthem of the United States!"

The crowd was already on their feet in excitement for the game. The song ended and the lights came back on.

"Mommy, how come you didn't sing?"

"That's a great question," Brooke agreed. "We should work on that. What do you think P. Sawyer?"

"How about it, Foxy? Interested in singing the Star-Spangled Banner for your boyfriend's game?"

Haley blushed. She loved that Nathan was her boyfriend now, but couldn't help the fact that she blushed whenever someone mentioned their status.

As the game went on Haley cheered Nathan on. She couldn't hide her enthusiasm. Occasionally she would ask Lucas about certain aspects of the game. Brooke and Peyton were also confused, but didn't have the interest in it that Haley had. Haley found herself really getting into the game. From what she could tell, Nathan was playing extremely well. She also admitted to herself that he looked damned good out on that court. He played with confidence. He knew exactly what he was doing on that court and Haley found it extremely sexy.

The game ended with Nathan scoring thirty points and the Lakers winning. It was a good game. Lucas even mentioned that it was one of the more exciting games of the season so far. The Nets had played well and had really made the Lakers work for their victory.

* * *

"So, how'd you like watching the game?" Nathan, Haley, and Sam were walking down the street toward a small diner. Sam was walking in the middle, Haley holding one of his hands and Nathan the other.

"We both had a great time. In fact, I think we might like to see more," Haley answered.

"Yeah?" Nathan hoped they would enjoy it but he didn't expect them to want to come again.

"I think I'm starting to get it too. Especially those free shot thingies."

Nathan laughed. "Free throws, Hales. Free throws."

"Okay, maybe I still have some to learn."

"You're a genius, you'll get it. How about you, Sam? Have a good time?"

"It was great! Thanks for my jersey, Nathan!"

"You're welcome. You're the best looking guy to wear that jersey."

"You were looking pretty good in it," Haley quietly said.

"Checking me out?"

"Maybe."

"Did you get any questions or anything?"

Haley shook her head. "If they noticed us they didn't say anything. I mean, I'm sure they noticed. Brooke said there are always pictures of people at games."

"Yeah, they probably did," Nathan agreed.

"I really am okay if they did, Nathan. I'm not hiding us. I'm too happy for that."

Nathan smiled. She was happy. He made her happy. He wasn't sure he was good enough to be seen with Haley James, yet he made her happy. He only hoped he could make her half as happy as she made him.

Just as the three of them were about to walk into the diner, they saw a flash in front of them. They halted and noticed a photographer standing right in front of them. He was soon joined by another and then another and yet more. Haley instinctively turned toward Sam, but before she could get to him she noticed that Nathan had picked him up and was making sure that his face wasn't directly in the line of the photographer's lenses. Haley reached for Nathan's free hand and squeezed it, her way of silently thanking him for protecting her son.

"Take it easy, guys," Nathan pleaded with the paparazzi.

"Are you two dating?" Questions were now being thrown at Nathan and Haley from the various photographers.

Nathan looked at Haley, letting her take the lead. Haley usually answered one or two questions from the paparazzi. She found early on after she became famous that they were more likely to keep their distance if she cooperated a little bit. She didn't like dealing with them, but if she could get them to stay away a bit by answering a couple of questions without giving away too much information, she would.

"Yeah, we're dating," she answered. The photographers now had Haley and Nathan stopped.

"Is it serious?"

Haley looked at Nathan and smiled. "Yeah, it's serious."

"Guys, really, take it easy," Nathan repeated, this time more forcefully.

He and Haley made their way into the diner, but not before hearing one of the photographers wonder, "How the hell did Nathan Scott get Haley James?"

They took a seat in a booth with Haley and Sam on one side and Nathan on the other. Haley noticed that Nathan looked a little down after their encounter.

"Are you okay?"

Nathan looked up at her. "Yeah, I'm good. I'm great."

"Are you sure?" She knew he was trying to avoid her gaze. "Is this about what that guy asked when we walked in?"

Nathan shrugged.

"You know, I'm nothing special, Nathan."

"Yes you are, mommy."

Haley put her arm around Sam and hugged him. "Thanks, sweetie. Nathan, all you did was be yourself. That's why we're here right now." She smiled and reached her hand across the table. He reciprocated and smiled.

He worried that he wasn't enough for her, but she seemed to think that he was. She seemed to want him in her life and in Sam's. He told her that he'd be around as long as she wanted and that was his intention. She seemed to want him around and that's where he'd be. He looked at the beautiful woman sitting across for him. She'd come to watch him do what he loved and he'd played his heart out for her. Looking at her and Sam looking at a menu together, he decided not to let a comment from the paparazzi ruin the great day he was having.

* * *

**Note:** I'm going to try and get another chapter up this week. Sadly, after that I won't be able to update for about two weeks. Thanks for reading and the reviews! You guys are great!


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Disclaimer: **One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Thank you for the reviews. I'm glad you're all enjoying the fluff. Here's some more of it.

* * *

Nathan stepped out of the elevator onto the unfamiliar floor of the Clothes Over Bro's offices. He looked around and walked toward the back where Brooke's office was located. Seeing him approach, her assistant waved him in. Brooke had called him and told him to come in immediately the next day. He had practice, but as soon as it was over he drove over. He was hoping that whenever Brooke was done with whatever it was she wanted him for that he and Haley could get something to eat. Brooke had refused to tell him why she wanted him there.

Nathan knocked on Brooke's door and heard her tell him to come in. He walked in apprehensively. He'd been on this floor before for an interview, but that was in a conference room. He had no idea what to expect with Brooke's office. The walls were lavender and the walls had posters of various models wearing clothes that Brooke had designed. The wall closest to her desk more closely resembled Peyton and Haley's office and Nathan was glad to see it. There were pictures everywhere of the three of them. One or two had Lucas, several had Julian, and even more had Sam.

"Hey there, Boy Toy! You made it," Brooke greeted him.

"Hey Nathan." Peyton was sitting in a chair in the corner of Brooke's office.

"Hey, I didn't see you there. Sorry. What did you want to see me about, Brooke?"

"You need a tux," she announced.

"Yeah, for the Golden Globes. I know. I was just gonna call someone."

"No. Not allowed. If you're going to be seen on Haley's arm then you need the very best. That's where I come in."

"I thought you only designed clothes for women."

"I'm making an exception. You're Haley's first red carpet date, so you need to look perfect."

"You're going to want to just go along with this, Nathan. There's no stopping her," Peyton told him.

Brooke stood up from behind her desk and grabbed Nathan's hand, dragging him out of her office. "Come on, Peyton!"

Before Nathan could even realize what was going on he was in some sort of large closet standing in his underwear. Brooke had out a measuring tape and was noting his size. She was so focused on her work that Nathan didn't bother speaking to her. He looked at Peyton who just smiled at him, as if telling him to go with it. When Brooke was finished, she wrote everything down and picked up a sketch pad. Nathan stood there, not really sure what he was supposed to do. Ordinarily he would have never gone through something like this, but he agreed with Brooke about wanting to look his best to be Haley's date.

"Uh, Brooke."

Brooke looked up from her sketching. "Oh, right, sorry. You can put your clothes back on."

"Is that all you wanted me for, Brooke?"

"No."

Nathan looked confused. "No?"

"This is her subtle way of getting you here without Haley so we could talk to you," Peyton told him.

"About what?" Nathan pulled his shirt over his head and sat down to put on his shoes.

"What do you think? Haley, of course." Brooke didn't look up from her sketching. Right on that paper was coming together an image of what Nathan assumed he'd be wearing.

Nathan was suddenly nervous. He'd been so concerned about Haley and Sam accepting him that he hadn't thought about Brooke and Peyton. He knew just how much they meant to Haley. He assumed that they supported his relationship with their friend because they had seemed so enthusiastic about it – especially Brooke. Now things were more serious. Nathan and Haley were out in the open, the general public knew that they were a couple and that it was serious.

"Look, you guys, I know how close you are and how much you love Haley-"

"Nathan, relax. We're cool with you," Peyton reassured him.

"You know she tells us everything," Brooke added.

Nathan nodded. "Yeah, I know how close you all are. I think it's really great. I didn't have friends like that growing up."

"It's still our job to make sure you take care of her," Peyton declared.

"This isn't going to be like a regular relationship, Nathan."

Nathan thought for a moment. He knew that Haley must have told them that Nathan knew all about how she got pregnant.

"I've never had a regular relationship. Haley knows my dating history, she knows all about my past. I'm not proud of it, but it's there. I promise you I'm not gonna put her in any situation that makes her uncomfortable. I really don't want to screw this up. I love her."

Brooke set her sketch pad down and looked at Nathan. "You two have been dating for just over two months. How can you be sure of that?"

Nathan sat down opposite Brooke. "And for two months before that we were friends, Brooke. Just because we weren't dating yet doesn't mean the feelings weren't there. She let me be her friend and she was even better than I thought she'd be. I just, I kinda thought we'd go out and get to know each other and it would be a good relationship. I always knew it would be a relationship with Haley because she's the kind of woman who deserves that kind of commitment. I didn't know I'd fall in love with her so quickly, but I did. I couldn't help it."

Peyton smiled at Nathan. She'd known him a little longer than Haley and she'd never seen this side of him. Lucas always told her that he believed his brother was capable of it. Peyton now thought Lucas was right; Nathan just needed the right person to come along for that. Peyton smiled mischievously. "You hurt her, you're dead. Got it?"

"She's not kidding. You won't know what hit you."

"I've got it," Nathan smiled. "The last thing I want to do is hurt her. Or Sam."

"Well, good talk. Now leave, I have a tux to make," Brooke ordered.

* * *

"You nervous?" Nathan and Haley were sitting in the back of a limousine on their way to the Golden Globes. Brooke had outdone herself dressing them. Nathan had never had a tux that fit him so well. Brooke definitely knew what she was doing. Haley's gown was purple, a shade almost identical to the purple flowers that Nathan had been bringing her. His gardener was getting frustrated having to replant the flowers after Nathan kept picking them out of the ground.

Haley's gown was classy, but also incredibly sexy. Nathan's mouth went dry when he saw her. It was strapless and satin with a slit that went high, but not too high. Brooke even designed matching shoes for her.

"Not really," Haley answered. "I never get used to the press line. I doubt I ever will. But, we'll just get it over with and go inside and have a great time. We're at a table with Brooke and Julian, so that should be good."

"You're not nervous about the questions we'll be asked?"

Haley shook her head. "I told you, I'm not ashamed of this and I'm not hiding it."

"I love you," Nathan said, leaning in and kissing her softly. "You nervous about the award?"

"I'm up against U2 and Bruce Springsteen. I'm not going to win."

"Since when do Bono and Springsteen write music for movies anyway?"

Haley shrugged. "They've done it before. Anyway, little ol' Haley James doesn't beat Bono and the Boss."

"I think your song is better."

"Nathan, have you even heard the other two songs?"

"I don't know. Maybe?"

Haley laughed and scooted closer to Nathan, leaning against him and holding onto his hand. "They're both great, trust me."

The car came to a stop and soon it was their turn to get out and take part in the madness of the arrivals. They would need to pose for pictures and be interviewed by the media. Haley hoped that they could get through it quickly. When she went to music related awards shows and she was nominated, it usually took a while because it was directly related to her industry. There had been times when it was even busier because Haley was nominated not only for her own music, but for producing other people's music. This time, the awards show was related to movies and television. Haley was only a small part of Julian's film, so her hope was that she and Nathan could get through the arrivals and get inside quickly.

"Ready for the madness?" Nathan looked at Haley and stepped out of the car, turning back to offer his hand to her. As soon as her hand was in his and she began to emerge from the car the photographers went crazy. Nathan stepped closer to Haley and put her arm around her waist.

Before they began walking, Haley kissed Nathan on the cheek. "Thank you for being here. I love you."

Their first interview was with E! and Ryan Seacrest. They walked up the steps to where Ryan was waiting for them and greeted him. They'd all met before at various industry functions.

"Haley, congratulations on the nomination."

"Thank you, Ryan. A lot of the credit goes to Julian. He made a great movie."

"It is a great song. You're nominated against the likes of Bono and Bruce Springsteen. Bono and Bruce Springsteen."

Haley laughed politely. "We were just talking about that in the car," Haley said 'we,' bringing Nathan into the conversation. "They're both great musicians who I've looked up to for a really long time. It's such an honor to be considered in the same category as the two of them."

"Mm hmm. Now, let's get down to what everyone is wondering about. Last week you were seen at a Laker game. You two were seen with your son going to dinner. Next thing we know, you're on the cover of a few magazines with them declaring that this is serious. So, is it?"

"Yeah, it is," Nathan answered.

"Please don't take offense to this, but I don't think anyone saw this coming."

"Neither did we," Haley said.

"Are you two in love?"

Nathan and Haley looked at each other and smiled. They answered at the same time without looking back at Ryan. "Yeah."

Haley was wrong when she hoped that their interviews would go quickly. They were asked the same questions repeatedly. By the time they got to the entrance, they had a routine down for their answers. Luckily, they were able to enjoy the rest of the ceremony. Haley was right about not winning. She lost, but she wasn't surprised or disappointed. She cheered enthusiastically for the winner and she and Nathan were able to sit back and relax. They did just that. Haley moved her chair closer to Nathan's. Much like they'd sat in the car together, Haley leaned against Nathan and he wrapped his arm around her.

"I like this. Being held by you," Haley told him when they were on their way back to her house afterward.

"I'm sorry you lost tonight."

"I'm not. I knew I wasn't going to win."

"I like this too. Holding you."

"Oh, shoot!" Haley scrunched her face in frustration.

"What's wrong?"

"I meant to ask Brooke if she could pick up Sam from school tomorrow. Peyton and I have a meeting and I can get out of it, but..."

"I can pick him up."

Haley looked up at him.

"Nathan, you don't have to do that. You've got practice tomorrow."

"And I'll be done hours before Sam gets out."

"You're sure? I don't want to be any trouble."

"You and Sam will never be any trouble. I'll pick him up."

"Okay. I'll tell the school when I drop him off in the morning to expect you. You'll have to sign him out."

"Okay, great. Any special instructions?"

"Just take care of him. Bring him by the office."

"What if he and I hung out and then when you finish with work and three of us could get dinner?"

"Are you sure that's no trouble?"

"Hales, stop worrying about it. I'd love to pick up Sam from school. And if it's okay with you and with him, I think it would be good for the two of us to spend some time together. You know, this is serious between us and that means I'm gonna be part of Sam's life."

Haley tried to keep her eyes from watering. Nathan just couldn't get any better. She'd been amazed for over a week now ever since that day in the rain. Now he was offering to bond with her son. He knew just how important Sam was to Haley. He understood that Sam was the most important person in Haley's life and he wanted to be a part of that.

"I love you, Nathan Scott."

* * *

Nathan stood nervously outside of Sam's school with some of the parents and faculty. Sam was a great kid, but they'd never had the chance to spend time together without Haley around. Some of the other parents looked at Nathan skeptically when he walked up. He got there twenty minutes early. He wanted to make sure that Sam wouldn't be left waiting. He'd been the first adult there and when other parents began to arrive, they looked at him confused. Nathan really didn't understand why. He'd been there with Haley before.

Nathan checked his watch as one of the faculty members came out with a clip board. The parents took their turns signing out their kids. Nathan let several of them go first.

"Hi, Mr. Scott," the girl greeted him, recognizing him from the other times he'd been there with Haley. "Ms. James told us you'd be here."

"Yeah, thanks," Nathan took the clipboard and signed next to Sam's name.

"He'll be right out."

Nathan nodded and looked toward the door to the school. It wasn't long before Sam came walking out, bucket in hand. He smiled at Nathan and quickened his pace when he saw him. Nathan smiled, too. He took Sam's bucket from him and took his hand in his.

"Hey, Nathan!"

"Hey, Sam. How was school?"

"We had fun. Mommy said you were coming to get me today."

"Yeah. You don't mind?"

"It's cool."

"Okay, we've got some time before we meet your mom for dinner. Any ideas about what you want to do?"

Sam thought as Nathan got him buckled into the car. Nathan was diligent in making sure that Sam was secure in the car seat. When he was certain that Sam couldn't possibly be more secure, he got into the driver's seat.

"Could we go play basketball, Nathan?"

Nathan looked behind him at Sam. "Are you sure that's what you want to do? We can do something else."

"I want to go play basketball with you. Can we do that?"

"Yeah, we can do that."

Nathan took Sam to his house, thinking that would be the best place for them. Nathan had his own hoop in the yard. Even though he and Haley were no longer hiding their relationship from the press, he didn't want Sam to be seen by the press any more than could be helped. If they went to a public basketball court in a park, the paparazzi may find them and start taking pictures. Haley was trusting him with her son and he wasn't about to do anything that could potentially lessen her trust in him.

Sam hadn't been to Nathan's house yet and when they walked inside he looked around, clearly impressed.

"It's like a castle!"

"Not quite buddy. To be honest, I like your house a lot more."

"Why? This one is so big!"

"You don't always need a big house. Especially when there's no one in it. Your house has you and your mom."

"I like my room. My bunny Chester sleeps in there with me. And I like mommy's piano."

"See, we don't have any of that here. Trust me, just because something's big doesn't mean it's the best."

"Hey, Nathan? How come you live in such a big house with no one else?"

Nathan took Sam out to the back where the pool was. Near the pool was the basketball hoop. Nathan took a ball from a box on the patio. He dribbled a few times before answering Sam.

"Well, when I got drafted to play for the Lakers, I thought it meant I should get a big house. I never really thought about what would happen when I was the only one living in it."

"Oh. Maybe you should move?"

Nathan laughed. "That's not a bad idea."

Since Nathan's hoop was the standard ten feet high, much taller than the one he bought for Sam, they decided that Nathan would dribble and Sam would sit on his shoulders, throwing the ball into the hoop. It wasn't a real game and it wasn't an effective way to get much done, but Nathan couldn't remember the last time he'd had such fun just throwing the ball into the hoop. He always loved playing, but when he played it was always with a goal. When he practiced free throws, it was to improve in case he needed to be ready for a game. When he played actual games, the goal was of course to win. Now he was playing just for fun with no pressure at all. Sam was just having a great time sitting on Nathan's shoulders and tossing the ball into the hoop.

After a while of that, Nathan put Sam back down on the ground. The boy tried dribbling the ball on his own, but needed both hands to do it. It would be a while before his hands were big enough to dribble a regulation size ball. Nathan took a seat on one of the chairs on the patio and watched Sam for a few minutes.

"Sam, can I talk to you for a minute? Man to man."

Sam held the ball and walked over to Nathan. He jumped into the chair next to Nathan's and sat back. He looked at Nathan with a curious expression.

"Sam," Nathan wasn't sure how to bring the subject up. One thing he knew about Sam was that he could be talked to almost like an adult. You had to hide some things from him, he was only four. But he was a very perceptive kid. "Your mom talked to you about us, right? About me and her dating."

"Yeah."

"Are you okay with that? Do you mind me being around a lot and taking your mom places and hanging out with you?"

"Yeah. I told mommy I was. It's okay if you're her boyfriend. I don't mind."

Even though Nathan knew that Haley had spoken to Sam, he still felt better talking to him himself. "I want you to know, I'm not trying to take your mom away from you. I love how close the two of you are."

"Mommy said that. I know. I like you, Nathan."

"Thanks, Sam. Because your mom means a lot to me. I really love her."

"I love mommy too."

"She's pretty great. Anyway, thanks for this, Sam. It really means a lot that you approve." Nathan extended his hand to shake with Sam.

"No fist bump?"

"No fist bump. You and me just had a big, grown up conversation so we shake hands like men."

Sam got excited when Nathan told him he'd done something grown up. He put his small hand in Nathan's larger one and shook it.

"You've got a good grip there, kiddo. That's a good handshake. It's better than Lucas's."

* * *

Nathan had driven Sam back to Haley's house once she was done with work. The three had a quiet dinner. Nathan even helped Haley in the kitchen with chopping vegetables. It was the first time he'd ever chopped vegetables in his life. He was sure he'd made a mess of things, but Haley didn't seem to mind. Nathan and Haley were now laying on her sofa together, Nathan's arm securely around Haley's shoulders and her hand resting on his chest.

"So, Sam seemed excited about this big, grown up talk you two had. Discussing important things?"

"Nah. Well, sort of. I just wanted to make sure he didn't mind the two of us dating. I know you talked to him and he told you he was. I just wanted to talk to him myself. I just wanted him to know that I wasn't trying to take anything away from him. He's a part of this too, Hales. I just wanted him to know that I love you and I don't want to hurt either of you."

Haley looked up at Nathan. She saw worry on his face. He was a beautiful man. She'd never thought of a man as beautiful, but Nathan was. He was almost too good to be true. She lightly traced the outline of his jaw.

"You don't mind me talking to him, do you?"

"I don't mind at all. I want you two to be close, Nathan."

"I do too."

"He is everything to me and to know that the man I fell in love with knows how important it is to me to make sure my son is comfortable. If I wasn't in love with you already…"

Haley could see that Nathan was still worried and it made her feel discouraged.

"What else is bothering you, Nathan?"

"I'm sorry I didn't ask you before I talked to him."

Haley turned so that she was facing Nathan. "Nathan, you have got to stop worrying and apologizing. I saw you were worried after what the paparazzi said after your game. A few of the reporters this past weekend asked how this happened and I saw every time that it bothered you. It's almost like you keep wondering it yourself and you need to stop that."

"But Haley, I'm not good at this relationship stuff."

"What makes you think that?"

"I've never done it before."

"Nathan, neither have I."

"You know I've screwed up a lot in the past and I just want so bad not to do that with you. I want to be the kind of guy you deserve."

"I'm the one who gets to decide that. You're the only man I've ever let myself open up with. When you start worrying about whether or not you're good enough, remember that. Just remember that just by being you, you got me to step way out of my comfort zone and take a real chance. And it's been worth it. Every second of this has been worth it. Please, stop worrying. I don't like seeing you this discouraged."

Nathan sighed. "Okay. I'll try."

"You're really confident when you're out on the court playing. Try doing that. It's pretty sexy."

"Sexy, huh?"

"A little bit." Haley was still laying so that she was facing Nathan. She scooted up a little and brought her lips to his. The kiss started slowly. Haley felt bolder and ran her tongue along Nathan's lips. Getting the hint, he parted his lips. Her tongue slipped inside his mouth. Nathan's tongue did the same and it brushed against Haley's. A small moan escaped from Haley's lips as their kissing became more heated. Nathan brought his hand to Haley's hair, holding her head in place. The hand that Haley had on his chest moved down to his stomach. They eventually pulled apart, Haley resting her forehead against his.

"I might keep doubting myself more if I get that response out of you," Nathan teased.

"No, that happened after I told you that your confidence was sexy."

"So, listen, I have some other news for you. That phone call I got when we were cleaning up the dishes."

"Oh?" Haley kept her head on Nathan's chest.

"It was my mom. She's coming out here to visit. She'll be here next month."

"Oh. Okay. Well, that should be nice. You'll be in town?"

"Yeah, I have about a week here so that's when she's coming. She noticed the schedule and booked her flight without asking me first. I'm sorry."

"Nathan, she's your mother, you don't have to apologize for her wanting to visit you."

"Yeah, but something happened at Thanksgiving and I didn't tell you about it because I didn't want you to worry. But also because we decided we were officially dating and I kind of didn't think about it after that since I was so happy."

"What happened?" Haley sat up. Nathan sat up with her.

"She sort of wondered if you were maybe with me for my money. She didn't know that you have your own and don't need that. It was after I told her you have a son and she just got a little worried. She didn't know you're successful and can take care of yourself."

Haley bit her lip. She didn't like that Nathan's mother's first instinct was to doubt Haley. But, then again, Haley was a mother too. If she found out her multi-millionaire son was dating a single mother, she might wonder too. Haley could never blame a mother for worrying about her child.

"It's okay, Nathan."

"No, it's not. She also wondered if maybe Sam's father might come into the picture. I'm sorry, Hales."

"Okay, first thing first, you're done apologizing for tonight. For anything. Even if you step on my foot or something. Stop apologizing. I don't blame her, Nathan. I have a son too; I know what it's like to worry. She didn't know who I was. And she doesn't know how I got pregnant. There's been a lot of speculation about that. It's one of the reasons I stopped reading internet comments," Haley tried to joke. "She doesn't know me, Nathan. But hopefully she will."

"You're really okay?"

"I'm not crazy about her assuming things about me, but hopefully she'll take a chance to get to know me. I'm also a little nervous about meeting your mother."

"It was pretty awesome watching Peyton defend you. I almost didn't say anything after that."

"Nathan, you didn't yell at your mother, did you?"

"No. Not really. Sort of. I just told her to relax and trust me. And if she didn't trust me, to trust Lucas and Keith and Karen."

"I appreciate you standing up for me."

"She'll be here for Valentine's Day."

"Did we have plans?" Haley smiled. She'd never really bought into Valentine's Day, but if Nathan had something planned she wouldn't complain.

"Well, I have a game that day but I was thinking afterward we could get dinner or something. If you don't want to, I get it."

"Dinner sounds nice. Thanks."

"So, you're really okay meeting my mom?"

"I'm fine, Nathan." Haley snuggled in closer to Nathan. Sitting with him like this and just being with him was becoming one of her favorite things to do. She just wished more than anything that he'd stop worrying that he wasn't good enough for her.

* * *

**Note: **So, Deb's coming to town. Dun dun dun. Again, thanks for reading and for your reviews. I love reading them all!


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** I'm back! Sorry about the wait. This chapter is a little shorter. But, I'm working my way toward getting to some good stuff. I'm so proud we hit over two hundred reviews! Thank you all so much for that. I really never expected that response!

* * *

Haley frantically ran around her house with a feather duster, trying to take care of dust that wasn't actually there. She'd spent a large chunk of time that past week cleaning her house and making sure it was in order. Nathan was on his way to the airport to pick up his mom. Haley had thought it would be a good idea to have her over for dinner her first night. She knew Nathan didn't cook and from what he'd told her, Deb didn't either. Haley thought it would be nice for her to have a home cooked meal her first night in town. Haley had planned a relaxing dinner with her, Nathan, Sam, and Deb. Nathan had other plans, though. Without telling Haley, he invited Brooke and Peyton. Brooke and Peyton, of course, would be bringing Julian and Lucas.

Haley had protested when Nathan told her that there would be four extra guests at dinner. It wasn't what she had planned at all. Nathan wouldn't tell her why he thought it was a good idea. After a while, Haley understood. It had to do with what happened at Thanksgiving. Nathan was trying to fill the house with as many people as he could that were supportive of Haley.

The idea that supportive people were needed made Haley more nervous about meeting Deborah Lee than she already was. Was she really that bad? Haley had tried to be understanding when Deb questioned her intentions toward Nathan. As a mother, she knew where Deb was coming from. But was she really so stubborn that Haley would need her friends there as buffers? Haley hoped that Nathan was overreacting. Either way, she loved that he was trying to protect her.

"You're early," Haley observed when Peyton, Brooke, Lucas, and Julian walked into the house. She didn't stop to make them feel at home; she knew that they would do that themselves. She was also too nervous. The four of them stood in the living room watching as Haley went back and forth nervously trying to clean.

"Haley, Haley, stop. Stop right there." Brooke stood right in front of Haley and put her hands on both of Haley's arms. "Take a deep breath and relax."

"Brooke-"

"Nuh! I don't want to hear it! Chill out."

"Do you know why Nathan invited you all here?"

The four exchanged a nervous look.

Lucas stepped forward and stood next to Brooke. "Listen, Haley, Nathan is just as nervous as you are. Trust me. He's never introduced a girl to his mother before. Definitely not one he's in love with. Deb's not that bad. I know my brother is panicking and he's over doing it. But this'll be fine. Better than fine. I've known Deb a long time and if you guys need help, I'm here."

"And if she says anything again, I'll clock her one," Peyton offered.

Haley managed a small laugh in response. She slumped her shoulders in defeat, knowing her friends were right. She nodded her head and looked up at everyone. "I need a favor from you all."

"Anything," Peyton said.

"After dinner, I need you all to leave."

"So, you're feeding us and then kicking us out?" Brooke crossed her arms over her chest.

"Basically. I appreciate what you guys and Nathan are trying to do, really. I love all of you for it. But I need some time with her alone. How am I supposed to know if we're going to get along if we have you guys here as in betweens?"

"I think she's right," Julian offered. "Really, she's got to do this on her own."

"Okay, we'll do it," Lucas agreed.

"What? Hold on, I'm not agreeing to that," Brooke objected.

"Haley, are you sure that's what you want? You know we're here for you if things get… intense," Peyton added.

Haley nodded and began putting away her cleaning supplies. "I know. You guys are always there for me. I have to do this though. I appreciate you guys being here to help and I appreciate Nathan for trying to help."

"Well, I don't like it. After what P. Sawyer said happened at Thanksgiving, I don't want her coming after you again."

"You know, in all fairness," Julian began, "that was before she met Haley. She'll meet her now and she'll love her."

"Julian has a point," Lucas agreed. "Deb's a nice person. She's just looking after Nathan. By the time we finish eating, I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Okay, but if anything happens, we're coming back," Brooke insisted.

"Thanks, Brooke. Now, I have to go get my dress on and get my son ready," Haley excused herself and headed upstairs.

* * *

Nathan carried his mom's suitcase as the two walked through the parking structure at Los Angeles International Airport. They'd had their picture snapped a couple of times by the paparazzi, but not much. Nathan Scott's visiting mother wasn't much of a story. The two hadn't said much to each other beyond their initial greeting.

"So," Deb said as they sat in traffic on the 405. "You're taking me to dinner with Haley and her son?"

Nathan shifted in his seat. "Yeah. Plus, Lucas and Peyton'll be there. And Brooke and Julian."

"Wow. Full house. Whose idea was that?"

Nathan grimaced. "Mine."

Deb laughed and rested her elbow on the car door. "Nathan, are you trying to protect your girlfriend from me?"

"No." Nathan paused. "Kind of."

"Nathan, I know that I was… somewhat out of line at Thanksgiving. Both you and Peyton put me in my place. Karen and Keith spoke with me afterward and assured me that Haley is a wonderful woman. I was fine at Christmas."

"I know. You didn't even mention it. All you did at Christmas was ask how we were doing."

"So, why this?"

Nathan hesitated before answering. There was a time when he wouldn't have cared about what his mother was thinking. But the guy he was then wouldn't be a guy who was with Haley. He wasn't going to be that guy anymore.

"Um, they're actually there for Haley. Hales and me, we're trying to be really honest with each other. So, I kinda told her about Thanksgiving. She's nervous. She understands why you asked all those questions. But I wanted her to have some people she was comfortable with. I sort of panicked."

Deb laughed again, this time more kindly. "Nathan, sweetie. I'm going to be on my best behavior. I promise. I'm keeping an open mind about this girlfriend of yours."

Nathan sighed. "Thanks."

"Nathan, did you ever consider the fact that by inviting this large group of people you've made Haley more nervous?"

Nathan frowned, keeping his eyes focused on the freeway ahead of him. "Not really. Dammit."

"Well, tonight should be fun," Deb enthused.

* * *

Haley finished buttoning Sam's shirt and waited as he tucked it into his pants.

"What's Nathan's mommy like?"

"I don't know," Haley told him, biting down on her lower lip as she got Sam's shoes out of his closet. "I haven't met her yet. But Lucas knows her and Peyton met her."

"Nathan's cool. So his mommy must be cool," Sam decided. He sat on the rug and started tying his shoes. Haley had recently taught him how and he was quietly mouthing the words to the riddle she taught him to go along with it. He looked up at her proudly once both shoes were tied.

"Great job, buddy. You're really getting the hang of that."

"Is Aunt Brooke and Aunt Peyton here?"

"Sure are. With Lucas and Julian."

"Cool! What are we having for dinner?"

"Roast. Sound good?"

Sam nodded and stood up.

"Ready to go downstairs?"

Sam nodded again and took his mother's hand. He led her down the stairs and stopped when he saw Nathan walk in with an older woman. Haley hadn't expected them to get to her house so quickly. She knew what traffic was like this time of day; especially in the middle of the week. She wasn't sure what to expect with Deborah Lee. Nathan didn't have very many pictures in his house. None were with his father. Haley could only remember a few featuring Deb. Mostly, it was him with Lucas or playing basketball.

Sam let go of his mother's hand as he ran to Nathan and hugged him. Nathan picked the boy up and put his fist up. Sam bumped fists with Nathan and giggled.

"Hey, Sam. Good day?"

"Yep! How was your day?"

"It was good, thanks for asking." Nathan set Sam back on the floor and looked at Haley. She was slightly fidgeting. She'd made it to the bottom of the stairs. Nathan knew his mother wouldn't be able to tell that Haley was fidgeting, but he could. He'd become so in tune with her in the past couple months. Especially in the last few weeks.

Haley looked at Deborah Lee, standing behind her son. With her blonde hair and green eyes, Nathan didn't look much like her. Haley set her nerves aside momentarily and approached Nathan. He took her in his arms and kissed her softly.

"Hey you," he greeted her.

"Hey." She smiled. It was amazing how calming it was just having him hold her.

Nathan took a step back, but kept his arm around Haley's waist. "Mom, this is Haley. Haley, my mom, Deb Lee."

"It's really nice to meet you, Ms. Lee." Haley apprehensively stepped forward and gave Deb a quick hug.

"It's very nice to meet you, Haley. Nathan has said such wonderful things about you. So have Lucas, Peyton, Karen, and Keith. I've been looking forward to getting to meet you. And it isn't Ms. Lee. It's Deb."

Haley wasn't sure what Nathan had been so worried about. Deb seemed much nicer than Nathan had indicated. She thought back to what Julian and Lucas had said earlier. This was going to be all right. Haley felt her nerves dissipate further as Nathan placed his arm back around her waist.

Haley could feel Sam hiding behind her. She brought him forward so that he was standing in front of her.

"Sweetie, this is Ms. Lee. She's Nathan's mom. Deb, this is my son, Sam."

Deb knelt so she was eyelevel with Sam. "It's nice to meet you, young man. You look very handsome this evening."

"Thank you," Sam said softly. Nervously. "It's nice to meet you."

"Dinner should be ready soon," Haley explained. "I actually thought you'd hit traffic and wouldn't get here so quickly."

"We did hit traffic," Nathan told her as they walked through the house into the living room where everyone else was waiting. "We hit a pretty good pocket of it right after the airport, but then it just kind of cleared up."

"Well, at least you didn't have to sit through much of it."

When they walked into the living room, the others in the room stood up. Lucas walked over to Deb and gave her a hug. Peyton gave a polite nod and a hello.

"Um, Deb, this is Brooke Davis and this is Julian Baker."

"It's a pleasure," Deb greeted them. "I own one of your dresses. It's beautiful."

Brooke momentarily forgot her animosity toward Nathan's mother. "It's funny how I never get tired of hearing that."

"She means it's nice to meet you," Julian explained.

"Oh, yeah. That too," Brooke added. Then, almost as soon as her enthusiasm appeared, it left. Brooke remembered what Peyton had said about Deb's behavior at Thanksgiving. Brooke took a step back and crossed her arms and raised her chin. She shared a look with Peyton. Solidarity. That's what they were doing. They'd be there for Haley and if Deborah Lee said anything about their best friend then they'd be ready to throw down for her.

"Um, if you all want to head to the dining room, I'll finish getting dinner out there." Haley smiled before turning to the kitchen. She was busying herself with the food, getting everything prepared, when she heard feet shuffling into the room.

"I thought I'd come help."

Haley turned to see Nathan. He looked apologetic, but she couldn't imagine what for. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "What's bothering you?" She placed her hand on his cheek and smiled at him.

"I think I panicked. About you meeting my mom."

Haley chuckled a little. "I think you did too. Nathan, she's nice. It's going well so far."

"It's only been five minutes," he pointed out.

"You invited Peyton, Brooke, and the guys over for me, didn't you?"

Nathan nodded and looked down and sort of away from her. Haley put her other hand on his other cheek and forced him to look at her.

"I love you, Nathan. For that and so many other things. Thank you." She stood on her tip toes and kissed him.

"I love you. I just wanted tonight to go well. I've never introduced someone to my mom before."

"We're going to be fine, Nathan. Now, carry these out and set them on the table." Haley handed him two dishes filled with food.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Nathan," Haley called him back to the kitchen. "I love that you asked everyone here to help me, but I asked them all to leave after dinner. I've got to get to know your mom on my own."

"Okay," he replied. "Does that mean I have to leave too?" He smiled; he was joking.

"Nah, I guess you can stay."

* * *

Dinner began quietly. No one was quite sure what to say.

"This is excellent, Haley. You're quite the cook," Deb complimented.

"Oh, thank you."

"Did your mother teach you?"

Haley nodded while chewing her food. "Yeah, she did. Not all of my sisters really caught on. I think I took to it best."

"All of your sisters? How many siblings do you have?"

"I have six brothers and sisters. Three of each."

"Wow," Deb was amazed. "I don't know how your parents did it. I barely managed one."

"He was a handful," Lucas quipped.

"Hey!" Nathan protested.

"He's not wrong, sweetie," Deb joked with her son. "Where do you fall in that, Haley?"

"Oh, I'm the youngest. Although we had Brooke and Peyton too. They're family."

"How long have you three been friends? At Thanksgiving, Peyton indicated that it had been a while."

"Since we were four," Peyton answered. "Haley and me were sitting and quietly doing our own thing at pre-school. I was drawing. She was reading. I think we gravitated toward each other because we each wanted some quiet."

"Until a certain brunette came along and it hasn't been quiet since," Haley added, looking at Brooke.

"And your lives are better because of it."

"They really are," Haley agreed.

"We've been best friends ever since. And Haley's right. We might not be related by blood, but we are family." Peyton said her words with a slight glare in Deb's direction. It was almost as if she was daring her to say anything.

"I get Google alerts for Nathan and through them I came across this article about the three of you. It was very nice. It talked about how you lived together through college and how you work together. It must be wonderful."

"We've been together through everything. I can't imagine not having those two in my life. They're Sam's godmothers."

"You get Google alerts, mom?"

"Yes, I do. It's lot easier weeding out the tabloids that way if all the stories come to me in one email. That Rachel Gatina writes about you two a lot. She's a piece of work."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I met her a while ago."

"Wait a minute. Rachel Gatina?" Brooke placed her hand on the table and looked at Deb.

"Yes, she has a blog. I only read it once, but I can tell from the Google alerts that she's writing a lot about you."

"Red hair? Beedy eyes? Annoying voice? Shrill?" Brooke's own voice was getting more shrill.

"Yeah," Nathan answered. "Do you know her?"

"We know her," Haley leaned back in her chair. "Brooke, remember present company." Haley nodded toward Sam.

"We knew Rachel in high school," Peyton explained. "She was a cheerleader with me and Brooke."

"She was a lying liar who lies!" Brooke was nearly shrieking.

"She wasn't our favorite person," Haley added.

"That's putting it mildly. Remember that party, Tutor Girl, when you-"

"Brooke," Haley warned.

"Sorry."

"Did what, mommy?"

"Rachel and I had a big argument at a party. But we made up and now we're fine," Haley fibbed.

"Nice save," Lucas complimented.

"Argument is one way to put it," Peyton muttered under her breath, clearly amused by the memory.

"So, she's a gossip blogger now?" Brooke was still angry.

"Yeah, I met her about six months ago," Nathan told them. "I didn't know she was a blogger then. I saw her again a couple of days later and she told me."

"She was a huge gossip in high school. This is the perfect job for her," Peyton laughed.

The rest of dinner went well. The ice had been broken and the conversation flowed well. Haley found herself liking Deb and vice versa. Brooke, Peyton, Lucas, and Julian had stayed while Haley put Sam to bed but left soon after.

Haley, Nathan, and Deb had settled in the living room and each had a cup of coffee.

"I think we need to clear the air," Deb declared.

Nathan looked nervously from his mother to his girlfriend.

"I know that Nathan told you about what happened at Thanksgiving. I want to apologize if you were offended, Haley. But I won't apologize for being concerned about Nathan. I spent too much of his childhood not worrying enough and I think he suffered because of it. Maybe I'm trying to make up for lost time, but I won't apologize for that."

Nathan and Haley had been sitting on the sofa while Deb was in the arm chair to their left. Haley set her coffee cup on the table and leaned forward so that she was closer to Deb.

"I don't expect you to apologize for looking out for your son, Deb. Believe me, I can relate. I have a son and I'd do anything to protect him. I really get wanting to do anything to make sure your son is okay."

"Thank you. You're a kind woman. I've enjoyed getting to know you tonight. Even if my son did think we needed referees."

"Sorry about that," Nathan mumbled.

"It's okay," Haley took his hand in hers and gave it a light squeeze.

"Your friends are very protective of you," Deb observed.

Haley nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't be here without them. Not my career, not with Sam, not with Nathan."

"You give them a lot of credit."

"They've been there through everything. Literally, everything. They were holding my hands when I was giving birth. Peyton cut the cord." Haley smiled at the memory. "They got up with me for feedings in the middle of the night. They helped me get over my stage fright. Peyton recorded my first demo and produced it. Brooke helped finance it."

Deb knew she probably shouldn't ask, but she couldn't help it. Everything mentioned by Haley was something a father would have done.

"Haley, I have to ask. I know I shouldn't. The last time I brought it up both Nathan and Peyton basically told me to mind my own business."

"Mom," Nathan warned.

"Sam's father."

Haley sat up straight. She chewed on her bottom lip and squeezed Nathan's hand for support.

"Hales…"

Haley looked directly at Deb, resolve clear on her face. "Sam doesn't have a father, Deb. The, uh, the… person… who got me pregnant isn't involved. Other than the one night, he was never involved. In fact," Haley looked toward the stairs, wanting to make sure Sam was nowhere near the conversation, "he's dead. You don't need to ask anything else. You don't need to know anything else. I'm sorry if that's harsh, but that part of my past isn't something I want shared with many people. That is for my son's sake. It's to protect Sam. Nathan knows everything about me. We don't have any secrets from each other. I know we just met, but I'm asking you to trust me and to trust Nathan."

"Haley and I trust each other, mom. You don't need to ask about this again."

Haley looked at Nathan and then looked down at her hands. She took a deep breath. She'd never skirted around the issue of her rape before. People just didn't ask her about it. There had been speculation in the press about Sam's father, but they hadn't been able to find any information. After a year or so, they just stopped asking. Deb had asked her about Sam's father point blank and that hadn't happened in a long time.

"Okay," Deb conceded. "You're right. It's none of my business. As long as you and Nathan are honest with each other, that's all I can ask."

"That was almost too easy," Nathan joked.

"You had nothing to worry about, Nathan. I'm just concerned about you."

"I'd never do anything to hurt Nathan, Deb. I love your son. He's completely changed my world for the better."

Nathan put his arm around Haley and hugged her. He smiled, but not at Haley. He smiled at his mom. He was clearly proud that the woman he had in his arms loved him and thought he made her life better.

Haley hoped that Deb would let the issue go. They'd be spending more time with each other. The next day was Valentine's Day. Nathan had a game that Deb and Haley would both be attending. Afterward, though, Nathan and Haley would be having dinner together. This was another in the list of firsts they were experiencing together. Neither had ever spent Valentine's Day with someone they loved before.

* * *

**Note:** I know some of you were hoping for more drama with Deb. I didn't think it worked for where her character is at this point in this world. She's healthy after leaving Dan and her relationship with Nathan is better, so while she's protective, she isn't going to start much drama. I do have some more fluff planned and I'm working on getting toward some more serious stuff. Thank you all for reading! I hope you're still reading after that long break.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Eleven reviews for one chapter? You guys are amazing! I hadn't planned on getting this chapter out so quickly, but it just happened. I hope I can get more done so I can get to more of the drama I have planned. I hope you enjoy this chapter and than you so much for the reviews!

* * *

"So, have you been to many of Nathan's games?" Deb and Haley were getting their seats on the floor of the Staples Center. After Haley took a stand the night before in regards to Deb's questions there had been a real ease with their conversation. Haley felt good taking that stand with Deb. Even if she risked potentially antagonizing Nathan's mother, she still needed to make sure that very few people knew the truth. One thing that Haley had to come to terms with was not that she was hiding what happened from the world. She just wanted to make sure that the one person who deserved to know the most wasn't going to be the last to find out. Haley had several years, though, before she had to tell Sam. It wasn't a conversation she was looking forward to. In fact, she was dreading it. But Sam deserved not to be the last person to know. Besides, the more people who knew the bigger risk that Sam would find out long before he was ready to understand it.

Deb had left Haley's house the night before with a great deal of respect for the woman who so clearly loved her only son. The only experience she had with the previous girls in her son's life were the few times she'd actually walked in on them when Nathan was a teenager. They hadn't been close then. Deb blamed herself for that. In an effort to stay away from her husband she also stayed away from her son. They'd been doing better in recent years. Ever since Dan went to prison, Deb had tried to make up for the time she had lost with her son. It hadn't been easy; Nathan was reluctant to let his mother in. But, after seeing how bad things could get with Dan after he shot his own brother, Nathan started to come around. He'd let Lucas in first. Allowing Lucas into his life made it easier for Nathan to accept his mother.

Deb had told Nathan that she would give Haley a fair chance and she believed she had. She watched the two of them and she had no memory of seeing her son look so happy or even so at peace. He fit in with Haley and her son like he'd always been there. If Deb didn't know any better, she would have thought that the three had always been a family. What Deb really respected was how Haley stood up for herself. She hadn't known what to expect when she asked about Sam's father. Haley respected Deb's instinct to protect her son and now Deb was doing the same. If Haley was keeping mum because she was protecting Sam, then Deb respected that. She admired that. She wished she had gone to such lengths to protect Nathan when he was Sam's age. Maybe things would have been different.

"I've been coming more often," Haley answered. "At first we were keeping things quiet while we, well, I guess you could say while we were getting used to being in a relationship. The past month and a half, though, I've been coming more often. When he has afternoon games, Sam comes too."

"He seems like a wonderful little boy, Haley. You've done a wonderful job with him."

"Thank you," Haley blushed. She wanted nothing more than to be a great mother to Sam. She felt like she was doing well. He was a happy, well adjusted child. But she never failed to blush when someone told her that she was doing a good job with him.

"How about you? Have you made it to many of Nathan's pro games?"

"Not as many as I'd like," Deb admitted. "I go when he plays Charlotte. That's not often."

"Oh, my brother Ned went to the last one that Nathan played there."

"Oh, really? I was at that game."

"Yeah, Ned's a Bobcat fan. Nathan offered to get him tickets when he was in town."

"When did they meet?"

"Last August. Ned was in town for work."

"I still can't believe your parents raised seven children."

Haley smiled. "Nine if you count Peyton and Brooke. I'll be honest, it was chaos sometimes. But we all love each other and that got us through anything."

"Are they all in North Carolina?"

Haley shook her head. "We're pretty spread out, actually. I'm out here. I have a brother in Nebraska, Ned's actually in Charleston. I have a sister in Virginia. When I graduated from high school my parents bought an RV so they could travel and visit all of us."

"Wow. So, they drive around the country and visit you all?"

"They did. They've actually settled back in Charlotte now."

Deb and Haley continued talking as they waited for Nathan's game to begin. Lucas and Peyton and Julian and Brooke had their own plans for the evening, so they weren't there.

"You and Nathan have dinner plans after the game?"

"Yeah. Just something simple. We didn't want to make too big a deal out of it."

Deb looked at Haley seriously. "He's happy, Haley. And I think that's because of you. So, thank you."

Haley blushed again. "I don't know about that. He's the same guy he was when I met him."

"I may not have been the most attentive mother when Nathan was growing up. But I know he wasn't happy. Things were getting better, but I can see it now. He is genuinely happy and I see it most when he's with you. So, thank you. And try to take credit for some things. You're far too humble for someone who's achieved so much."

Haley blushed again. "I'll try." Haley chewed on her lip for a moment. The Laker Girls were on the court getting the crowd into a frenzy. "He makes me happy. I don't really date a lot. I've been so focused on Sam these past few years and, well, with a few other things. I'd never really given myself the chance to let someone in. He came as a total surprise, but he makes me so happy."

"I'm glad to hear that. His father and I made so many mistakes. I'm happy to know that Nathan is avoiding those mistakes. I don't know how much he's told you, but our family life has basically been a mess."

"He doesn't like to talk about it. Most of what I know is from Lucas, actually."

"That's right; you two have been friends for a while."

Haley nodded. "Since we were teenagers. He used to tell me some stuff about Dan and everything that went on. I'm really glad he and Nathan have each other now. It's nice to see."

"It is," Deb agreed. "Dan kept them apart for so long. It was a miracle they were able to get past it."

"Seeing them now you'd never know there was any sort of animosity."

"I am grateful for that. Lucas has been such a positive influence on him. We've all worked really hard to work past Dan. I think we've managed it. We're not a conventional family, but we love each other. Like you said with your large family. You love each other and you get through anything."

"It's been so long since I saw Karen, Keith, and Lily."

"I have a picture," Deb offered. She pulled her phone out of her purse and began scrolling through the images. "This was last week when I was watching Lily for Karen and Keith."

Haley looked at the image of the little girl on the screen. She had curly hair and big, brown eyes. "Wow, she's gotten big. She's beautiful."

"She's about Sam's age, right?"

"Um, I think she's about a year older. Yeah, a year. I was three months along when I first met her when she was a baby."

"That must have been difficult for you." Deb noticed the change in Haley's expression. "I'm not prying, I promise."

"It's okay. We got over that last night. But yeah, it was hard. Like I said, though. I had Peyton and Brooke."

The buzzer sounded and the announcer's voice was heard throughout the arena as the game was about to begin. Deb and Haley cheered Nathan on from the sidelines. They were his most vocal supporters. The Lakers managed one of their best victories of the season thus far. They won with a double digit lead and Nathan had played extremely well. Haley and Deb waited for him as he showered and did a few interviews after the game.

He smiled when he walked out and saw his mom and his girlfriend talking to each other. His mom was casual in a pair of jeans and a sweater. Haley, on the other hand, was wearing a dress. She was ready for their date. Normally she wore jeans and looked casual for his games. He knew without seeing anyone else that she was the most beautiful woman at the Staples Center that night. He hoisted his duffel bag over his shoulder and clutched the small bouquet of flowers in his hand.

Nathan cleared his throat as he approached them, letting them know he was there. He stood in front of Haley, all but ignoring his mother. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." Haley nervously shuffled her feet and felt the butterflies return to her stomach.

"I'm going to get going. You played a great game tonight, sweetie," Deb told her son. "Haley, I enjoyed your company tonight. Hopefully we can get together again before I have to leave."

Haley was broken from her trance and looked back at Deb. "If you don't have plans tomorrow, you could drop by the studio. I'd love to show you around. You could see Clothes Over Bro's, too. We could get lunch."

"I would love that. Thank you, Haley."

"I'll get you the address."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I can get directions from Nathan before I leave."

"Yeah, sure," Nathan responded.

"You two have fun tonight. I'll see you in the morning, Nathan. Haley, I will see you tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it."

Deb walked away, leaving the arena. Nathan took Haley's hand in his and rubbed his thumb over her hand.

"Are those for me?" Haley nodded her head in the direction of the bouquet of small purple flowers that Nathan was holding.

"Oh, yeah. They are." Nathan handed them to her. She brought them closer to her face, smelling them.

"I love these flowers. Thank you."

"So, ready for our first Valentine's Day together?"

"You know, we don't have to do this if you're tired. You played a really great game. I understand if you're worn out."

"And miss out on taking you to dinner on Valentine's Day? Not a chance, Hales."

"You know, no one has ever made a big deal out of Valentine's Day for me. I kind of like it, but Nathan, I'm not going to be petty and girly if we don't do anything tonight."

Nathan shook his head. They were now in the parking lot. Haley had arrived with Deb. Nathan would be taking her home after their date. "Nope. We're doing this right. Even if it's cheesy."

"So, this is going to be cheesy?"

"I hope not. But you never know."

"It is a pretty cheesy holiday," Haley admitted.

"You've got to be the coolest woman ever. Some of the guys were talking after the game about all their girlfriends and wives expecting a lot for tonight and you're giving me a free pass."

"Coolest woman ever, huh? Think I could get that in writing?"

"Sure. Next time a reporter asks me about you, that's exactly what I'll say."

Haley stopped Nathan and wrapped her arms around his neck, the flowers still in her hand. "I love you." Nathan brought his head down and captured Haley's lips with his own.

"I love you," he replied.

Haley's stomach began rumbling. She stepped back, embarrassed. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize for being hungry, Hales. Guess that's my cue to feed you."

"Feed me? I'm not a child. Or a puppy." Haley stuck her lip out, pouting a little but not really meaning it.

Nathan closed the distance between them and put his arms around Haley's waist. "You definitely are not." Nathan kissed Haley again. He heard her moan and he smiled against her lips. It felt good knowing that he could get that reaction out of her from a simple kiss. Nathan felt his temperature rise and pulled his lips away from Haley's.

"We're going to miss our reservation," he told her.

"Reservation, huh? Where are you taking me?"

"It's a surprise."

"You know how I feel about surprises, Nathan."

"Yeah, I know. Also, I don't want to get your hopes up. There's this little bistro downtown. It's supposed to be pretty great."

"Sounds good. That's only a few blocks from here."

* * *

Dinner was excellent. The restaurant was crowded with other couples enjoying Valentine's Day together. Nathan and Haley had agreed not to exchange any gifts and kept their word. That didn't stop Nathan from pampering Haley as much as he could. He was always considerate. He always opened doors for her and always held her chair out for her when they went out. Tonight there was just something about him. He was being extra attentive.

When they were nearly done with dinner, Nathan looked at Haley quizzically.

"What?" Haley wiped away something on her face, wondering if she had food there.

"No, it's not that," Nathan understood what she was doing. "I was just wondering about last night. You guys sort of said something happened with Rachel."

"Oh, that." Haley set her fork down and covered her face with her hands. "I sort of threw a drink on her and bitch slapped her at a party senior year."

Nathan laughed. "Why would you do that?"

"It is a long, convoluted story. To be honest, it doesn't paint Brooke in the best light."

"I've got time. And I'm not gonna think less of Brooke. She's been a great friend to you and she was there with you through everything, right?"

"Yeah, she has. She just had a little slip up. Uh, okay, where to begin. Well, I never had a good feeling about Rachel, but she and Brooke got close. They were actually living together for a little bit. Rachel came to me once and said she needed a tutor because she was failing calculus. Against my better judgment, I agreed to it. I ended up with appendicitis. While I was in the hospital, Rachel took the key for the cabinet with all the tests in it. She stole a calculus exam so she could cheat.

"Or so I thought. It turns out, she wasn't the one failing. It was Brooke. At first Brooke was reluctant to cheat, but she eventually did it."

"Why?" Nathan was amazed. The Brooke Davis he knew would never betray Haley like that.

"She'd started her fashion line. Victoria's Secret wanted to feature some of her line and the contract had a morality clause. That ended up being a big break for her. Rachel knew what was at stake and took the fall for it. But, because I was the one tutoring her and the key she stole was mine, I got fired."

"Brooke let you get fired?"

"I told you, this doesn't paint her in the best light. She eventually came clean to me. We worked through it. I loved tutoring, but I love Brooke more."

"Okay, so that explains why you hit Rachel. Kind of."

"She also kept hitting on my boyfriend at the time."

"Okay, that explains why you hit her and threw a drink on her. Why does Brooke hate her?"

"Rachel betrayed Brooke. All of us, actually. But mostly Brooke. Um, we didn't hear from Rachel for a couple of years after high school. I was just beginning my senior year at Stanford. I just had Sam. Rachel gets in contact with Brooke and she starts modeling for Brooke. You've seen Rachel, you can see how it was a great job for her.

"She's nothing special," Nathan said.

Haley gave him a look. She knew Rachel. She knew you'd have to be blind to say that Rachel Gatina wasn't a beautiful woman.

"Okay, but she's not you. She's pretty, she's just, I guess obvious."

"Don't worry about it, Nathan."

"I should probably tell you that she hit on me."

Haley had been taking a sip of her water and nearly spit it out. "Of course she did."

"It was the first night I met her. It was after your concert last August. You remember that one."

"Yeah, I remember." Haley looked down at her plate. She wasn't proud of the way she'd treated him at that concert.

"Anyway, I went to have a drink. She was there and she hit on me. I left, though. A couple of days later I was getting gas and she was there. That's when she told me she was a blogger. I didn't know you knew her. And from what you're telling me, she seems kind of manipulative."

"It's okay, Nathan."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"You worry too much, Nathan. Seriously. I know how Rachel is."

"You're sure?" Haley nodded. "Okay, so why does Brooke seem to hate Rachel so much?"

"Rachel smoked some pot in high school. It never seemed like much. By the time she came to San Francisco, she was a full blown addict. Brooke tried getting her help. She really did. Rachel OD'd once. Brooke put her in rehab and even paid for it. Once Rachel got out and got clean, she came to stay with us. I wasn't excited about it. We had a baby in the house and I know she was trying to get clean, but…

"Anyway, by that time we were starting to get the business together. We'd actually made enough selling my first EP to pay Brooke back on her investment and then some. The money was in the house. Rachel took it and we never heard from her again. She just ran out, taking the money Peyton owed Brooke."

"Wow. So, last night when my mom mentioned her…"

"Was the first time we'd heard from her in over three years."

"She's kind of a piece of work."

"You can say that. I just hope she's clean still. She seemed to come out of rehab okay."

"Well, the couple of times I saw her, she didn't seem like she was high or anything."

"That's good. I'm glad to hear it."

"You're a good person, Haley James."

Haley blushed again. They finished the meal and made quiet, easy conversation. When they got to Haley's house, she invited him to come in for a while. They paid Ally and said their goodbyes to her. They both went upstairs to check on Sam, finding him sound asleep in his bed. Haley left her heels in her bedroom before she and Nathan went back to the living room.

"Do you want some coffee?"

"No thanks," Nathan answered. He sat on her sofa and Haley curled up next to him. She put her hand on his chest and let out a contented sigh.

"Thank you for tonight."

"It was nothing, Hales. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I wish I could have done more, but with the game-"

"You did more than you know, Nathan."

Nathan looked down at Haley, confused. She looked up and knew she needed to explain.

"The past four Valentine's Days I've spent with Sam. Just the two of us."

"I'm sorry, Hales. I didn't know you'd want to spend it with Sam."

"No, no, that's not it, Nathan. Andre's mom had plans for them and they asked about that before you and I decided to have dinner tonight. I'd let you know if Sam and I had plans, you know that."

"I do," Nathan nodded.

"Five years ago today, my, uh, my life completely changed."

"How?"

"That was the day that Damien Smith was supposed to be sentenced," Haley admitted quietly. When she thanked Nathan for their date, she knew she was going to have to explain what she meant and she'd prepared herself for it. She wasn't used to openly talking about the attack, but she loved that she could freely do it with Nathan. It wasn't easy, but knowing he was there listening was easy.

"I'm sorry, Hales."

"Thank you. Anyway. I went to the courthouse that morning. I was prepared to watch him be sentenced. It was the last time I was ever going to have to see him. That's when the detective in charge of the case came and told me he was dead."

"I didn't know that happened on Valentine's Day."

Haley nodded. She was still cuddled against Nathan, her head resting on his shoulder. "I also had an appointment at the hospital that day. It was supposed to be my follow up after the tests for the STDs. That was the day I found out I was pregnant. I went from one second thinking I'd never have to think about it again to knowing I was going to have to think about it even more."

Nathan held Haley more tightly. He didn't know what to say to her. He didn't have to say anything, though. She continued talking.

"I knew I really wasn't going to be able to stop thinking about it. Just because he died didn't mean it was going to go away. It would always be there. I just didn't know I'd have to think about it the way I ended up thinking about it. I know that doesn't make any sense."

"I think it only needs to make sense for you."

Haley smiled, but didn't look up at him. "I just went from feeling relieved in one second and the next second I had no idea what I was going to do with my life."

"But then you had Sam."

Haley's smile widened. "Then I had Sam. And somehow, he made everything make more sense."

"I'm happy for you, Haley."

"You make things make even more sense, Nathan. Sam helped me heal so much. But you're helping too."

"How? I'm glad I am, Haley. I hate what happened to you, and I'd do anything to help."

"Just by being you, Nathan. I love you. You love me. It's helping me heal."

Nathan leaned in and kissed her. He brought his hand to her hair, getting his fingers tangled in it. Haley scooted up so that she could reach his lips better. Without realizing it, she had situated herself on top of him. The hand that wasn't in Haley's hair Nathan had on her hip. The kiss deepened and Haley ran her tongue along Nathan's lips. He responded by parting his own lips. She had one hand on his cheek, the other was at the hem of his shirt.

They continued kissing, barely coming up for air. Nathan tried keeping his hands under control. They mostly stayed tangled in Haley's hair and on her waist. Haley's hands, however, had begun to wander. The hand that had been at the hem of his shirt was now on his stomach, slightly touching the exposed skin where his shirt had ridden up. Haley shifted again, which caused Nathan to groan. He suddenly pulled away. Haley opened her eyes and looked at him confused.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said. "I just need to stop."

"Why?" Haley sat up, putting her hand on Nathan's chest for leverage. When she moved, that's when she felt it. Nathan was turned on. Haley could feel it as she got off of Nathan. He looked at her, embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Don't apologize, Hales. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten carried away."

"You're not the only one who did, Nathan." They were both now sitting up and Haley put her hand on Nathan's forearm.

"Can you do me a favor and not touch me, Hales? Let me calm down here. I'm sorry. I didn't want to push you."

"I'm really sorry, Nathan." Haley brought both hands to her face, sighing. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be a tease. I just kind of got caught up in the moment."

"Haley, it's fine. Just give me a minute to calm down."

Haley sat, nervously biting on her lower lip, as Nathan sat concentrating. After a few minutes, Haley finally had to ask. "What are you thinking about?"

"My junior high stats."

"Is that helping?"

"Yeah, actually."

Haley waited a few more seconds before speaking. "You're not pushing me, Nathan. You let me take the lead with our physical relationship and I'm so grateful for that. You've been so selfless in this. I just don't want you to think I'm leading you on, Nathan. I love you and I want to be ready for all of it. I'm just not."

Nathan scooted closer to Haley and put his arm around her. He kissed the side of her head, closed his eyes, and breathed in. He loved how she smelled. The more he got used to it, the more it felt like home.

"I already told you, Hales. When you're ready, we both will. You're not leading me on, you're not teasing me. I'm sorry that I… well, you know."

Haley blushed. "I wasn't expecting that. But don't apologize. I may not be ready to go any further, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't flattering, Nathan."

"You're beautiful, Haley. Don't let the fact that I want you make you feel pressured. Don't do anything until you're ready. I'm fine waiting."

"I love you so much, Nathan Scott. Thanks for giving me my best Valentine's Day ever."

"I love you too, Haley James. I love you too."

Nathan leaned back into the cushions of the sofa, taking Haley with him and just holding her. They stayed that way for a while longer. Nathan wasn't lying. He was happy to just hold Haley. Their relationship had been going great. Nathan had no complaints at all. He hadn't even thought about sex often. He was loving being with Haley so much that taking their relationship to another level wasn't on his mind much. He wanted her, he couldn't deny that. She couldn't deny that now. But one look at Haley and he knew he could wait.

* * *

**Note:** Well, we are getting somewhere with them. The issue will come up again. Go ahead and laugh at my choice of words. I'll try and update again by this weekend. Thank you all for reading. It's great knowing there's still interest after me being gone for a while. :)


	20. Chapter Nineteen

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** I don't know how I got these out so quickly. A big part of it is the great response from all of you. Thanks for going with me on this journey. :)

* * *

Haley walked out of the counseling center. She smiled contentedly as she walked a few blocks to where her car was. After the progression of her relationship with Nathan and what happened the night before, Haley thought that going to group might be a good idea. She appreciated the guidance she got in group. Not just from the counselors, but from the other women as well. Group counseling was a real sharing experience. Listening to the other women talk about the issues they were facing and how they dealt with them was helpful for Haley. She hoped that they found it helpful as well. She always tried to be a good listener when she went to group. She knew how important it was to her and felt that it was just as important to the others.

Haley got into her car. She had a few hours to get some work done before Deb arrived. She thought back to the night before and blushed. Even though she was completely by herself in the privacy of her car, she still blushed thinking about the fact that she turned her boyfriend on just by making out with him. She began the short drive to work and didn't notice the photographer parked in his car down the street.

* * *

As soon as Haley walked into the office, Brooke grabbed her and took her to the Clothes Over Bro's floor. Peyton insisted on coming along so that she and Haley could work together while Brooke worked on Haley's gown.

The Oscars were coming up in a few weeks and Haley was a nominee for her song for Julian's movie. Brooke was excited. Oscar nominees had worn her designs before, but this was the most important. This was her best friend, her sister. Brooke had been sketching like crazy since the nomination came in and was just now making the final fittings on it.

Haley stood still as Brooke stuck pins in her dress. Peyton was looking through paperwork and occasionally asked questions of Haley. They were in the middle of producing three albums and were getting quite busy. They hadn't even started work on Haley's next record. She was writing, but didn't have any complete songs yet. She'd also been focused on writing for Julian's next movie. She read the script he had and filming was nearly complete. She had a pretty good idea for where she wanted this new song to go and hoped that the final product would fit in with Julian's film.

"So, I was thinking of bringing in Chris and Jason in a couple of months. As far as session musicians go, they're both pretty good. They've also got some creative ideas," Peyton told Haley.

Haley groaned. "They're also both completely egotistical and arrogant."

"And they keep hitting on you," Brooke added.

"I know," Peyton admitted, "but they're both also good at what they do. We don't have to decide anything now. I just think they might work really well for Mia's next record."

"I'll think about it," Haley relented. She shifted her weight onto her left foot.

"Tutor Mom, stand still."

"Sorry, Brooke."

"What's on your mind? You've been biting your lip and you look like you have something on your mind," Peyton observed.

Haley knew that Peyton and Brooke could read her every expression. She had gotten a lot off of her mind at counseling. But some things a woman just wanted to share with her best friends. She'd listened to Peyton and Brooke talk about their sex lives and share their experiences. Haley didn't necessarily have a sex life, so to speak. But for the first time, she had something to share with her friends. They had always told her that this was something that was supposed to be done among friends.

"Something sort of happened last night," Haley admitted.

Brooke stopped. She was on her knees, kneeling in front of Haley and stitching the hem of her gown. She stopped and looked up at Haley.

"What do you mean something happened? You guys went to dinner, right?" Peyton set the files and paperwork she was holding down on the floor next to the stool she'd been sitting on.

"Yeah, then we went back to my house." Haley began fidgeting. She clasped her hands together and started playing with the ring on her pinky.

"Haley, he didn't try to-" Brooke was cut off before she could finish asking her question.

"No, no. No. Not at all. He's been great. If anything, I was the one pushing." Haley said the last part quietly, blushing further as each word came out.

"You two didn't have sex did you?" Brooke stood up.

"No. I'm definitely not ready for that. Really not ready for that."

"What happened, Haley?" Peyton scooted over, allowing for room for Brooke to sit next to her.

Haley began pacing. "Well, we were making out. We do a lot of that. And I started getting really into it. Really into it. Then he stopped."

"He stopped," Peyton repeated. "Why did he stop?"

"He, um," Haley's blush deepened. "He got excited."

Peyton and Brooke stared at Haley for a few seconds. Both of them had their mouths agape and their eyes wide.

"Haley James, did you give your boyfriend a hard on just by making out with him?" Brooke broke the silence. Her tone was laced with amusement.

Haley bit her lip and nodded. "I somehow ended up on top of him, too. I think that had something to do with it." Haley looked over at the chair that Brooke had in the room. They were in the large walk-in closet that Brooke also used for Nathan's fitting. Haley took a seat and put her elbows on her knees.

"No, not a chance. Sit up straight or stand. That gown isn't done yet and you cannot ruin it before Oscar night," Brooke ordered.

"Sorry. Can I change?"

"Yeah, I guess. I don't think we're going to get anything done now. Not after this stunning revelation." Brooke stood up and began helping Haley get out of the gown. They put their conversation on pause while Haley got dressed. Once she was dressed, she sat down in the chair again.

Before Brooke sat down again she went to the door, making sure it was closed. "Okay, coast is clear. Now spill."

"There really isn't much else to say. I told you guys. We were making out and it was really great and then he just had to stop."

"He stopped? Why did he stop?" Peyton was now in the same position Haley was earlier. She had her elbows resting on her knees.

"He didn't want things to go too far. He's been great, guys. He knows I'm not ready yet. He's been great about it since I told him about… you know. He's just been so patient and when it happened, he's the one that pulled away and got himself under control."

"I have a question," Peyton said. "How do you feel about this?"

"About what?"

"About Nathan getting all hot and bothered. I mean, this is all new to you, Hales. You've never really let yourself get this involved before for it to get to this point. Where's your head at?"

Haley began chewing on her lip again. "I guess I kind of like that I had that effect on him. I guess it's just kind of nice knowing that he is that attracted to me."

"Oh, please, have you seen the way that man looks at you? He's so far gone. There's never been a question about him being attracted to you," Brooke declared.

"Thanks, Brookie."

"You two talked about you not being ready, though, right?" Peyton was always the one to bring the conversations back to reality. Haley was grateful for that. She loved that her two friends each had a great sense of humor. But Brooke's humor and Peyton's seriousness were a nice balance when they had serious conversations.

"Yeah. We've talked about that. He's so patient."

"Do you want to be ready?" Brooke Davis knew when to be serious, though. She knew when the conversation had to stay on point. And sometimes she knew exactly what to ask Haley.

"I want to be ready. I want to be able to have everything with him."

"Do you think you're getting there? It's a big step for you, Haley," Brooke said.

"I think I might be. I wasn't the one who stopped last night. I wasn't getting close to stopping," Haley admitted. "It's going to be Nathan. I know that."

"Wow," Peyton and Brooke said in unison.

"I know. Sometimes when we make out, I just get to this point where I have to stop. I can't let it go further because I'm not ready. But I want to be ready for him."

"Well, I'm excited for you," Brooke nearly shouted. "And I am so proud of Boy Toy."

"You found a great guy, Hales. You know, me and Brooke, we've been here with you for a long time."

"I know."

"And I guess we just always hoped you'd be able to let yourself let someone in and find a great guy who understood. Never guessed it would have been my boyfriend's brother."

Haley opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in!"

Millicent opened the door halfway, peeking into the room. "Haley, Ms. Lee is here."

"Oh, thanks, Millicent. I'll be right out." Haley stood up and straightened out her skirt. When Millicent left the room, she turned back to Peyton and Brooke. "Thank you, you guys. I don't know where I'd be without you."

"You'd be fine," Brooke said. "But you'll never have to find out."

"I know." Haley walked away, but turned back to her friends. "Just remember, we're being nice to Deb. She and I cleared the air; we're cool."

* * *

Haley got off the elevator on the Red Bedroom Records floor and walked into the office. She found Deb sitting on the sofa, flipping through a copy of B. Davis Magazine that they had on the table.

"Hey, sorry to keep you waiting, Deb. Brooke was poking me with needles."

Deb looked confused.

"She's designing my gown for the Oscars," Haley explained.

"Oh, yes. I heard about the nomination. Congratulations. I must say, I never expected my son would be going to the Oscars. Good luck. I hope you win." Deb was now standing and she and Haley hugged. This hug went much more smoothly since the hesitant one they'd shared when they first met.

"Thank you. I won't win, though. The other nominees are U2 and Bruce Springsteen. I know a lot of nominees say it's an honor just to be nominated, but really, it's an honor. I'm in the same category has U2 and Springsteen, so I can't complain. I think it'll be fun just to go and see everyone look all glamorous."

"Don't you go to a lot of these types of shows?"

"Yes and no. I try not to. I prefer staying home with Sam. I usually only go if I'm nominated or one of our artists is nominated. Even then, they're the awards celebrating music. The movie stars are new."

"Well, I hope you both have a wonderful time then."

"Thanks. Why don't I show you around."

"So, the girl said this was your office?"

"Oh, yeah. That was Millicent. She kind of works for all three of us. But yeah, this is our office. Peyton and I share it. We realized we do so much of the business together that it would be easier to share one big office instead of constantly calling or emailing each other."

"That makes sense. I noticed the pictures as I walked in."

"We just wanted to make sure the office was all us. The music is so personal and we wanted the office to be the same way. I don't think the three of us would have gotten here without each other, so we just wanted that all over the office. Well, our office. Brooke's offices are a little more professional. But you get more leeway with the music industry. Her personal office is a lot like this, though."

"Do you own this building? It seems like you three are all over it."

"We do, actually," Haley nodded. "We were going to rent, but then we realized we were going to need so much of the space we might as well invest and buy it. We have a building down the street, too."

"Really? What are you doing with that?"

"We haven't done anything with it until recently. Brooke was going to use it for a boutique, but then she found a different location that worked out better. Now we're turning it into a club."

"The club business? I know a little something about that."

"You and Karen own a club, that's right."

"If you need any tips, please let me know. Although I'd guess that a club in L.A. is much different than one in Tree Hill."

"We're opening in a few weeks. We want it to be the kind of club that we were looking for when we were in Charlotte and then even in San Francisco. We're going to do an all-ages night twice a week. We're going to book live talent. We have a few connections in regards to that," Haley joked.

"I would image you'll be playing there," Deb surmised.

"I'll be opening it."

Deb was impressed. She and Haley hadn't even left her office yet and Deb could easily see just how much work these three young women did. When Nathan first told her about Haley at Thanksgiving, Deb had worried that her son was seeing a woman who might try and take advantage of him and his bank account. Peyton and Nathan both told Deb otherwise. But now she was getting to know Haley and she could so clearly see that this woman wasn't afraid of hard work and she wasn't expecting anything to just be handed to her.

After explaining the new club, Haley took Deb around the offices. She got a look at the recording studio. On the Clothes Over Bro's floor, Brooke made sure that Deb was treated like a queen. Now that Haley had given the okay to be nice to Deb, Brooke was eating up the compliments Deb offered. In turn, Deb walked out of there with two new dresses and a belt.

Deb and Haley walked a few blocks down the street to a small café. Haley, Brooke, and Peyton came there often. The café offered delivery and sometimes they did that. Today, though, Haley and Deb walked there. It was small and most of the customers were people who worked in the area. They were regulars. Haley said hello to several people she seemed to know in the café.

"So, do you get to see your parents often?"

"Not as often as I'd like," Haley replied. "I wish I did. I'd like Sam to be around them more. It's great when we do see each other and we make sure we're together at every holiday. It's just tough with work. Sam started pre-school and next year it'll be kindergarten. They try and divide their time between seven kids, but that gets expensive."

"All the same, you seem to have a wonderful family life."

"I do."

"I wish Nathan had that growing up."

"You said that earlier."

Deb cocked her head to one side. "Dan wasn't an easy man to be raised by and I'm sorry to say that he did most of the work while I was away. The minute Nathan was old enough to dribble a ball, Dan had him playing. Dan's basketball career ended in his first year in college. He saw Nathan's talent as a way to finally make it to the pros. He started living vicariously through Nathan. It was a lot of pressure on him."

"I was shocked when I heard that he shot Keith. Lucas had said that they didn't get along and that Dan was… well… But I still couldn't believe it."

"It was a hard time. But I think we all came out of it stronger."

The rest of lunch went smoothly. Deb was happy to share stories of Nathan's childhood with Haley and Haley was excited to hear them. Deb would be flying back to North Carolina the next day. Haley had enjoyed getting to know Nathan's mother. She had been so nervous about it before. Thinking back on it, it was now funny that she and Nathan had both been so worried.

* * *

Deb was back at Nathan's that night packing for her flight the next day. She heard the front door open and walked downstairs to see who it was. She wasn't expecting Nathan back yet. He was with Haley. The night before he hadn't gotten home until after midnight, so she assumed that he would be out late again. She was surprised to see Lucas there.

"Hey, Deb," he greeted her when he saw her.

"Lucas, I didn't know you were stopping by."

"Neither did I. I just needed to drop off some papers for Nathan to sign. Have a good trip?"

"Wonderful," she said. She walked into the kitchen and Lucas followed her. They sat at the counter after Deb poured Lucas a cup of coffee.

"So, you came to check out Haley, didn't you?"

Deb looked down. She wasn't ashamed of what she had done, but she was a little embarrassed that Lucas had caught on so easily. "My son is in love for the first time. I know you vouched for her. So did your mother and Keith and Peyton. But my son is in love for the first time. I had to come see for myself."

"Well, what did you think?"

Deb thought before answering. She wrapped both of her hands around the coffee cup. "I think that the two of them are very much in love with each other. I think that sometime soon that woman is going to be my daughter-in-law."

"I think you're right," Lucas agreed.

"Has Nathan said anything to you about it?"

Lucas shook his head. "But he isn't the only one who's changed by this. Haley's brightened up so much. I haven't seen her like this since before she had Sam."

"Really?"

"She loves Sam. She's a great mother, one of the best I've ever seen. But there was just something a little different about her. It actually started when I saw her just after mom had Lily. I guess she was pregnant then. She's always been Haley. Anyway, I think you're right. They've only been going out for three and a half months, but I think they're it for each other."

"She's quite accomplished."

"Haley was always going to do great things. She's really smart, too. She went to Stanford. She was valedictorian in high school."

"I'm glad I gave her a chance. It seems Nathan has made a wonderful choice. I'm just glad he met her now instead of when he was under Dan's influence."

"Nathan of a year and a half ago wouldn't have been right for Haley. Now, though, he's done a lot of growing up. They're going to be just fine."

* * *

The next day Nathan, Haley, and Sam drove Deb to the airport. They'd had breakfast at Nathan's house beforehand, with Haley doing the cooking. Now that Deb had gotten to know Haley, she took the time to get to know Sam. She remembered her conversation with Lucas the night before. She firmly believed that someday Nathan would marry Haley. That not only meant that Haley would become his wife, but that Sam would become his step-son. She had already noticed the bond between Nathan and Sam. Sam was an important part of Nathan's life, so now Deb was making an effort to get to know the boy. She found him to be bright and kind, much like his mother.

The group of four stood on the curb after Nathan got his mother's luggage out of his car.

"I have very much enjoyed getting to know you, Haley. It's been a great visit." The two women hugged warmly. "And Sam. You are definitely the most handsome man in Los Angeles."

"Thank you," Sam said. Deb knelt and hugged him. "It was nice to meet you, Ms. Lee."

"You can call me Deb," she told him.

"It was nice to meet you, Deb," the boy said.

"Nathan, sweetie. Call more often," Deb ordered as she hugged her son.

"I'll try, mom."

Deb whispered in her son's ear before letting him go, "She's wonderful, Nathan. Don't let her go."

"I won't, mom."

They finished saying their goodbyes and Nathan, Haley, and Sam left the airport. They were sitting in traffic on the freeway when Haley thought to ask Nathan something.

"What did she say to you back there?" She looked at him as he concentrated on the road ahead of them. She had noticed that he was always more careful in the car when Sam was with them. She appreciated it so much. "Actually, you don't have to tell me. It's private. I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine. She actually was telling me how great you are and told me not to let you go."

Haley blushed and smiled. "Oh. Well."

"She didn't need to tell me that. I already knew it."

"You know just what to say, Nathan Scott." Haley stretched her hand across to where Nathan was. She rubbed her hand along the hair at the nape of his neck. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"I love you too, mommy," Sam said from the backseat.

"I love you too, buddy!"

"This is a nice car ride," Nathan said, smiling.

* * *

Rachel sat in a small restaurant. She was in a booth in the back with her laptop open. She didn't bother looking up when someone approached her. A man in his late twenties sat down across from her and set a small envelope on the table in front of Rachel.

"What's that?" She still hadn't bothered looking up at him as he typed away.

"You asked me a few times if I had anything on Haley James. Or Brooke Davis or Peyton Sawyer."

"So these are about Haley?" Rachel finally looked up from her computer screen.

"Yeah, I can't sell 'em. I don't see her much outside of actual events. This is the first time I can remember seeing her just walking around."

"Why can't you use these?"

"She isn't doing anything. She's just getting into her car. I was downtown, getting some errands run and there she was. There's nothing in that area."

"So, you're bringing them to me."

"You asked. Thought you might want them."

"Are these the originals?"

"It's the only memory card. Like I said, I can't use 'em. No one'll buy 'em."

"She really is that boring, isn't she?"

"Not since she started goin' out with Nathan Scott. If he woulda been there I could get some money for 'em."

Rachel put the memory card into her laptop and began looking through the pictures. She saw Haley smiling and walking to her car. Rachel looked at the buildings around Haley. She took a look at one and noticed an address. She typed it into a search engine.

"You can go now," she told the man.

"Whatever." The man began mumbling about Rachel being rude as he walked away.

Rachel looked at the results the search engine turned up and noticed some of the business around the area Haley had been seen at. One in particular caught her attention.

"Well, well, Haley James. You just got more interesting." Rachel thought about the last time she was around Haley, Brooke, and Peyton. She thought about the timing and she thought about how surprised she was to find out that Haley had a son. Rachel typed something else into the search engine. She had a feeling and she wasn't going to let it go until she got to the bottom of things.

* * *

**Note:** So, light on the Naley interaction, but we are getting somewhere. And we're getting to some drama courtesy of Rachel Gatina. Thanks for the support, everyone!


	21. Chapter Twenty

**Disclaimer: **One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** I have to again thank you all for your reviews. I'm always surprised to see how many you all leave, it's really great. It definitely keeps me writing this story. Well, this chapter has some fluff and some drama. Enjoy!

* * *

Rachel looked at the information in front of her. It had taken her several days, but she had a feeling that she was right about this. Spread out on her desk were files she'd requested from Santa Clara County. A collection of old newspaper articles were off to the side. Next to them was a composite sketch of a young man that had a phone number to a tip line at the bottom of the page. Rachel had carefully constructed a timeline. This was all based on a hunch, but she had a strong feeling about it.

Rachel had spent a lot of time on this hunch. She'd done her digging; she had been thorough. Now she had this information sitting in front of her. She took a sip from the coffee mug on her desk. She'd barely slept. She didn't want to, not until she got to the bottom of this. She'd gotten leads on stories before, but that was just gossip.

This line of work was perfect for Rachel. In high school, she had been the queen of gossip. She knew what was going on with everyone, sometimes before they even knew themselves. She would have preferred if she was still modeling for Brooke, but that career was no longer an option. She may not have been friends with Brooke anymore, but she knew that Brooke was right. Modeling wasn't a healthy career for Rachel Gatina.

Running a gossip blog was not a career she would have ever expected to find herself in, but she loved it. She loved doing the work. Of course, the work usually involved going to great parties or clubs and sticking her nose where it didn't belong. It was just like high school, except now she was earning a living from it.

She had always been curious about Brooke, Peyton, and Haley in the years since she had last seen them. She knew what they were doing with their careers. They each lived part of their lives in the spotlight, so Rachel didn't have to wonder. But Rachel wasn't wondering about Brooke the designer, Peyton the record producer, or Haley the musician. Rachel wondered about Brooke, Peyton, and Haley. She wondered about the girls she'd known in high school and had lived with during their college years. So, when she befriended some of the paparazzi, she put some feelers out. She asked for information on the three women she once knew. The photographers had assumed that Rachel just wanted a story.

Now, she had a story. She hadn't expected it to come from Haley. To say she'd been surprised to find out that Haley had a son and no father for him in sight would be an understatement. But when she saw Haley, she knew that she was still the same Haley she'd known before. Rachel was also sure that Haley was probably going to have the least amount of gossip about her out there. Her dirty laundry wouldn't be aired because there wasn't any. This wasn't dirty laundry. This was something else entirely. Rachel had a big decision to make.

* * *

Nathan adjusted his collar and shifted in his chair. He was waiting for a journalist from Sports Illustrated. When he first came to national attention and was asked to do interviews, he was the one to make the journalist wait. Lately, though, Nathan wasn't just on time – he was early. He'd arrived twenty minutes before he was supposed to and took a seat at the table in the corner of the restaurant. He looked around at the other patrons in the room. There were several enjoying their meals. Occasionally, some would look in his direction, recognizing him.

He used to love giving interviews. The arrogant, young rookie had loved taking the opportunity to talk about himself and his game. Then Renee Richardson came into his life. All of a sudden, he didn't feel like letting go of the personal details of his life. Now, instead of feeling proud of his conquests, he was ashamed.

He was now giving his first interview since he and Haley began dating. He wasn't sure what he was going to say. They hadn't discussed the subject of interviews, but it was a part of both of their lives. He wondered what she would do in this situation. She would be polite, he decided, but she would keep their private life private. That's what he would do. Sports Illustrated would be asking mostly about his game, but he knew they would also ask about Haley. She had, after all, become a common fixture at Lakers home games in recent months.

Nathan noticed an attractive, blonde woman approaching his table. She was professionally dressed, but still looked like she knew exactly how beautiful she was. She stood in front of him and nodded.

"Nathan Scott, I'm Mick Corday from Sports Illustrated."

Nathan stood up and extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you." He waited for her to sit down before he sat back down.

"I hope you weren't waiting long."

"No, not long," Nathan answered. He took a sip of his water and began fiddling with the fork on the table. He smiled when he thought of Haley. She fiddled with things on the table when she was nervous. It must have been a habit he'd picked up from her.

"You're smiling," Mick Corday observed.

"Yeah," he answered, "just thinking about something."

"Something or someone?"

"No offense, but I kind of thought you'd be a guy." He changed the subject. He wasn't going to offer more information about his and Haley's private life than he needed to. He respected Haley and what they had.

"So, I guess that's someone you were thinking of then. I doubt I have to ask who. She's been at almost every home game in the past couple of months."

"Are we on the record?"

"We are now," she answered.

"Well, let's get this started then."

"Okay, we'll stick to business. It's March, which means we're now in March Madness. How do you feel your alma mater Duke will do?"

"Duke always has a strong team. Coach K knows what he's doing and I'm sure the team is going to give it their all. I'm rooting for them and I'm sure they won't disappoint."

"How do you feel the Lakers are doing this year?"

"We're doing great. The team is strong."

"And the playoffs?"

"I'm looking forward to that. I think we've got a real chance this year."

When he first joined the Lakers, interviewers couldn't get Nathan to shut up. He would keep talking and talking and a lot of it would be bragging. Now he chose his words carefully. He was diplomatic. The interview continued for a while longer. He began to loosen up and his answers came more clearly. Nathan could tell the interview was winding down.

"So, when I got here, you began smiling and I think that had something to do with a certain someone who has been on the sidelines cheering you on this season."

Nathan smiled, but didn't say a word.

"You and Haley James have been dating for a few months now. She comes to games. You've been seen with her at events like the Golden Globes, Grammys, and the Oscars. What can you tell us about her?"

Nathan thought back to something he'd told Haley not long ago. He owed her something. "She's the coolest woman ever," he finally answered.

"The coolest woman ever? Sounds pretty great. You two seem happy when you're seen out together."

Nathan nodded. "Haley makes me really happy. Happier than I've ever been. I love her very much."

Mick Corday looked at Nathan, scrutinizing him. "That's all I'm going to get out of you about her isn't it?"

"Our privacy is important to us. I love Haley and we're happy together. She's the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Better than the game?"

Nathan thought for a moment before nodding. "Haley is the best thing that's ever happened to me."

* * *

Haley placed her hand over the mouthpiece of the phone that was currently at her ear. "No, take those and set them up over there," she ordered. She was currently inside the new club that she, Brooke, and Peyton were opening. It was set to open in just two days. Currently, she and Peyton were in there making sure that all of the last minute preparations were being taken care of. Haley was also on the phone with her mother and was trying to do two things at once.

"Thank you," Haley called out to the retreating figure of one of the club's bartenders.

"You're welcome, Haley Bob," her mother said from the other end of the line.

"Ha ha. So, what's this trip you and daddy are taking?"

"Well, we thought we'd go see Seth in Chicago this coming weekend. We're going to get in the RV tomorrow and we'll make it there for the weekend."

"Chicago this weekend?" Haley chewed on her lip. She had an idea.

"Yes, it's been a while since we went to visit Seth."

"It's been even longer since you visited me," Haley pointed out.

"I was thinking about that, actually. Your father had a wonderful suggestion. Feel free to say no, but if you do, we will shun you and make you feel guilty about it."

Haley laughed, "What's this suggestion?"

"How about we all come to your house for Christmas?"

Haley opened her mouth, but closed it. Again, she opened her mouth and closed it. "My house isn't big enough for everyone," she stammered.

"Neither is Eli's, but we all managed."

"Mom, I would love to have you all out here. If we can figure out where to put everyone, then let's do it."

"Well, your father and I will just bring the RV. So, you don't have to worry about us. What you could do is just buy a bigger house."

"I'm not going to buy a bigger house. Sam and I love that house. It's perfect for the two of us."

"But, it might not always be just the two of you, Haley Bob."

Haley blushed and turned around, wanting to hide the reddening of her cheeks from whoever might be watching. When she turned around, she was caught off guard by someone standing right in front of her. In a blue striped button down and a pair of jeans, Nathan stood before her, smiling. Before she said anything, he leaned in and kissed her softly.

"I heard kissing," Haley heard her mother say on the phone. Nathan mouthed an apology and shrugged.

"Nathan just got here, mom."

"Tell him I said hello. And ask him what he thinks about you buying a bigger house to fit all of us in. Wait a minute. What if you decide to spend Christmas with him this year? You'll be spending it together, I'm sure. What if you go to Tree Hill?"

"Mom, Christmas is nine months away. You're getting ahead of yourself."

"I don't think I am. Anyway, I'll let you go. Remember, your father and I want more grandchildren!"

Haley blushed again and turned away from Nathan. She knew if he saw that she was blushing he would ask why and she'd have to answer. Before Haley could say something to her mother, Lydia hung up the phone.

As soon as Haley felt like her blush was under control she turned back to face Nathan. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"How was the interview?"

"Good. She asked about you."

"She?" Haley crooked her eyebrow. "I thought you said it was a man."

"I thought it was. Guess I was wrong."

"So, what did you tell this woman about me?" Haley playfully batted her eyelashes.

"I guess you'll just have to wait for the next Sports Illustrated to come out," he teased.

"I'll be waiting by my mailbox for my subscription," she joked back with him. He knew she didn't have a subscription. In fact, he'd be surprised if she'd ever even picked up a copy of the magazine.

"I said we were happy and that I love you," he answered truthfully.

"Good answer," she said, kissing him softly.

"So, how's this all going?" Nathan kept his arms wrapped around her waist. He didn't know why, but right now he just didn't feel like letting her go. Nathan looked around the club. More lights were on now than there would be when it opened. The club had a rustic industrial look to it. Above the stage hung a neon sign that said "Electric Company" on it. Except most of the letters were burnt out, so all the sign said was, "Tric." That was the name of the club. It had been Peyton's idea. There was a bar in the center of the large room, illuminated by more neon lights. Red vinyl stools were around the perimeter of the bar and throughout the open space were tables and booths for guests. A large dance floor was in front of the stage, which was sparsely decorated. In fact, other than the neon sign against the brick wall, there was nothing decorating the stage. The three women had wanted a simple look to their club. They didn't want anything fancy or over the top. They wanted a place where friends could come and have a great time.

"Good," Haley said, looking around her as their employees were moving about and getting everything set up. "We're just about all set up."

"I'm sorry I have to miss it," he told her.

"I know. I miss you when you have road trips." Haley rested her head against his strong chest. Whatever it was holding him to her this day was also holding her to him. She could hear the steady beat of his heart as her ear pressed against his chest. She closed her eyes and exhaled.

"Peyton said she'd do a live stream of your show so I can see it," Nathan tried to console her. It wasn't much use. They both wanted him to be there in person to see it. Instead, he would be off with the team, playing games in a variety of places in the mid-west.

An idea struck Haley and she opened her eyes and smiled.

"So, you'll be in Chicago this weekend," she remembered.

"Yeah, we get there Saturday for a game on Sunday."

"I was just on the phone with my mom-"

"Yeah, I was going to ask about that. What had you blushing?"

Haley blushed again as she remembered her mother's suggestion for more grandchildren. "Anyway, my parents are going to be in Chicago visiting Seth this weekend."

"Your brother?"

"Yeah, he lives there with his boyfriend Hugh. Anyway, my parents will be there, along with Seth. So, I'm kind of thinking, and feel free to say no, what if Sam and I flew out there and met you?"

"Fly to Chicago?"

"Yeah, you could meet my parents; we could see your game. If you're not ready to meet them I totally understand."

"No, I want to," Nathan quickly responded. "I do. I think that's a great idea. I'll still have to miss your big opening and your big show, but I still get to see you this weekend. This is a great idea, Hales."

"Yeah? I'm glad you think so."

"You still haven't told me why you blushed on the phone earlier."

"Oh, right," Haley bit her lip again. "I told you my parents don't really take much seriously. They like to joke around and a lot of what they say, you can't take seriously. I know I told you that and they mean well, it's just sometimes they say things and I don't want you to get nervous or feel pressured or anything and I don't-"

"Hales. You're rambling."

"Sorry. She said that she wanted more grandkids." Haley rushed out the final sentence, not taking a single breath between her words.

Nathan's expression changed. Before he'd been curious. He had been excited about Haley and Sam coming to Chicago to see him play.

"Nathan, like I said, don't take it too seriously. She knows we're taking things slow and the idea of kids is nowhere near ready to be discussed."

Nathan nodded. Haley pulled away and began to walk toward the office in the back of the club. Before she could separate completely from him, he held onto her hand. "Can we go back there and talk for a minute?" The employees of Tric weren't paying attention to them, but Nathan still wanted privacy.

Haley nodded. Still holding his hand, she walked back to the office. Inside, she shut the door and turned to him. She couldn't read the expression on his face and she desperately wanted to be able to.

"I'm sorry, Nathan," she began, wanting to break the silence between them. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable about what she said."

"I want that," he blurted out.

"You want to feel uncomfortable?" Haley had a feeling that wasn't exactly what he meant.

"Kids," he said bluntly. "I wouldn't, I would… We haven't talked about this."

"We're talking now."

Nathan nodded. They were still standing in the middle of the office holding hands.

"We're not ready for that," Nathan said. "We're nowhere near ready for that. But someday, when we are, I want that with you. When we were locked in the recording studio, you asked me if I'd thought about having kids someday. I told you I hadn't, but then I had to. Then you and I started going out and I love you and I guess what I'm saying is that someday I'd like to have kids with you. When we're ready," he added.

Haley stood there staring at him. She hadn't thought about having anymore children. She had her hands full with Sam. He'd been an unexpected blessing. She loved Nathan and she saw a future with him. When her mother mentioned being with Nathan's family next Christmas, Haley knew that was a very real possibility. Now that Nathan was a part of her life, Haley couldn't see her life without him. But she hadn't thought about children. She was just getting to the point where she was thinking about sex.

She thought about Nathan and Sam. She thought about the care he took with her son. She smiled, thinking about how patient Nathan was when he showed Sam how to hit a baseball or how to shoot a basketball. She could easily see that Nathan not only loved her, but loved her son as well. She let her mind wander a bit more and imagined how Nathan would be with their own child. She couldn't imagine him being anything other than great.

Haley closed the gap between them, still holding his hand. She put her other hand at his collar and looked into his blue eyes. These were the same blue eyes that she felt she could easily get lost in and often found herself doing just that.

"I don't want to pressure you, Hales. I just thought about it a little. I think it would be pretty great." He looked down nervously. His gaze fixed onto their joined hands and he felt a wave of relief. She hadn't let go of him, so maybe he hadn't scared her off.

"We're not ready," she finally said. "I love you so much, Nathan." She stood on her tip toes and brought her lips to his. The kiss soon intensified and they found themselves getting completely lost in each other. Haley was embarrassed when, several minutes later, Peyton knocked on the door. Peyton had to knock twice because Nathan and Haley were so caught up in each other that they hadn't noticed the first time. The knowing smirk on Peyton's face when she opened the door only embarrassed Haley more.

* * *

Haley thanked the audience one more time before stepping off the stage. She was at Tric on opening night and it was packed. Haley, Peyton, and Brooke hadn't made a huge fuss about the opening of the club. They hadn't done much press themselves to advertise it. They weren't flaunting their ownership. Yet, word got around and everyone wanted to be at opening night of their new club. There were people lined up outside, hoping that they would make it inside at some point that night.

Haley walked into the small dressing room adjacent to the stage. She'd been sharing it all night with the two bands that were also performing, but at the moment she had it to herself. She put her guitar in its case and sat down at the small vanity against the wall. She smiled as she saw the pictures she'd placed on the mirror. She placed them to the mirror during every show she ever performed. One was of her, Peyton, and Brooke when they were in college. They had just moved to San Francisco and were moving Brooke and Peyton into their house. The other was of Haley with Sam on his first birthday. She was holding him as he smashed into his birthday cake with both hands. She'd recently added a third. In the picture, she and Nathan were sitting in her backyard. The picture was a little out of focus and a small portion of Nathan's head was cut off, but she could see the love between them in the picture clearly. Sam had taken the picture. He had begged Haley to let him use the camera and she had finally relented. He snapped the photo just as Nathan was about to kiss Haley.

"Everything you touch turns to gold."

Haley looked up and could see from the reflection in the mirror who the voice belonged to. She hadn't seen her in over three years. She stood up and turned around, leaning against the table of the vanity for support. "Rachel. Hi. I didn't know you were here tonight. It's good to see you."

Rachel scoffed. "Seriously?"

Haley nodded. She knew what Rachel meant, because Rachel had never been her favorite person. But getting Haley fired as a tutor in high school was a long time ago. Haley wasn't holding grudges.

"How are you? Nathan said that he'd seen you a couple of times."

"Mm," Rachel smirked. "He told you about that, huh?"

"Yeah. Really, how are you?"

"You mean am I using?" Before Haley could admit that was what she'd been wondering, Rachel continued. "I'm clean. I have been since Brooke sent me to rehab."

Haley smiled widely. "I'm really glad to hear that."

"How's the tyke? He was just a baby the last time I saw him."

"He's great. He's really great. Four years-old now."

"You know, even when I was high, I was always surprised. Goody two-shoes Haley James gets pregnant and has a kid with no father in sight? Never made any sense. If I'm remembering right, I think I made a few Immaculate Conception jokes."

"You did."

"I run a gossip blog now."

"I heard about that. How's it going?"

"Good. I have a few friends. Photographers."

"You mean paparazzi," Haley corrected her.

"This one guy had some pictures. He couldn't sell them. He showed them to me. Actually, he gave them to me. His memory card and all of it, so I'm the only one who has them."

Haley was getting suspicious, but didn't have to wonder long about these pictures Rachel claimed to have. Rachel reached into her oversized purse and pulled out a large envelope. She walked closer to Haley and handed them to her.

Haley didn't open the envelope. "What are these?"

"Take a look."

Haley decided not to play along. She opened the envelope and pulled out the pictures. There were only a few. Haley recognized where they were taken immediately. They were of her. She was getting into her car after a counseling session. Haley tried to keep her expression neutral so she wouldn't give anything away. "I was running errands," she lied.

"No you weren't. See, I did a little research. I looked up exactly what businesses are in that area. And you know what? It wasn't a business that caught my attention. It was a women's crisis center. One that specifically deals with helping victims of sexual assault."

Rachel waited for Haley to respond before continuing. When Haley didn't say a word, Rachel spoke again.

"The thing is, Haley, I'm good at research. I'm actually smart when I want to be. I started looking into public records in Palo Alto and Santa Clara County. From around the time I showed up after I'd been away. Turns out that about nine months before your son was born, there was a rapist on campus at Stanford."

Haley felt the color drain from her face. She grabbed the chair next to her, seeking more support. She still didn't say anything. She couldn't find her voice.

"There wasn't a name for the victim. But there was a name for the guy they caught. Damien Smith. Turns out he died in prison. But nine months after those flyers with a sketch of his face started showing up on campus, you gave birth to a bouncing baby boy.

"I remember you in high school. You barely dated and when you did, you were a relationship kind of girl. You didn't do things casually, so I doubt once you went to college you started having random sex with guys just for kicks. At first I sort of thought maybe you did have a boyfriend. Maybe one who ended up being a real dick and left you and the munchkin?

"Now I don't think so. Now I think I know what happened. That guy who gave me these pictures didn't know what he had on him." Rachel laughed but there was no amusement in it. "You were raped, Haley."

Haley felt the bile rise in her throat and she tried to keep it from coming up. She had to give Rachel some credit. She'd done her research well. But this wasn't supposed to happen. More people weren't supposed to find out about this. There was only one other person who didn't know whose business this was. And he wasn't ready to know.

Haley swallowed and stood up straight. She wrapped her arms around her mid-section and looked at Rachel. She tried to set her face into a steely resolve.

"These are the only copies of the pictures?"

"These are the only printouts. I have them on a flash drive and a memory card, though. You can keep those," Rachel offered.

"What are you going to do, Rachel?"

Rachel looked at the woman in front of her. Moments ago, she'd been scared. She had never seen Haley James looked scared before, but she knew she just had. Now Haley looked determined and Rachel couldn't figure out what she had her mind set on.

"I don't know what I'm going to do yet," Rachel answered.

"So, what? You want me to squirm?"

"Actually, I just thought you should know that I have those pictures. And to tell you that maybe you should be more careful if you're trying to hide something."

Rachel didn't wait to give Haley the chance to respond. She walked out of the dressing room, leaving a very confused and worried Haley in her wake.

* * *

Haley sat on the plane, gripping the arm rests so hard that her knuckles were turning white. She looked over at Sam. He was sound asleep in the seat next to her, snuggled into the pillow and blanket that was provided by the airline. The plane had taken off two hours ago. Normally, Haley only gripped the arm rests during take-off and landing. Her mind kept going back to her encounter with Rachel at Tric. She had no idea what Rachel was going to do and she had no idea what she was going to do about it.

She was worried that she was going to have to explain to Sam just how he came to be much earlier than he was ready. He wouldn't understand. He couldn't possibly understand just what happened, but if this got out – if Rachel made it a story – he would have questions.

She didn't have time to react much. After her set at Tric and her conversation with Rachel, she had to rush home to make sure that she and Sam caught their flight. She wouldn't be able to find out what Rachel was going to do until after this weekend.

Haley had left the pictures in a box in the back of her closet before she and Sam left for the airport. She hadn't decided if she was going to tell Nathan or her family what happened. Everyone was looking forward to this weekend. Nathan was nervous about meeting her parents, but he was so excited that Haley and Sam were coming to Chicago. When Haley told her parents of her plans, they screamed so loudly that Haley thought she might have hearing damage. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin anyone's weekend with her problems.

Haley lifted the arm rest that separated her and Sam. She gently put her arm around her son and cuddled next to him. No matter what was going on, holding Sam always helped her feel better.

* * *

**Note:** You all hate Rachel right now, don't you? Well, you'll have to wait and see what happens. I'll try and update soon. Thanks again for reading and for the reviews!


	22. Chapter TwentyOne

**Disclaimer: **One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Well, we have a stressed out Haley in this chapter, courtesy of Rachel. Enjoy, and thank you for the reviews!

* * *

Nathan waited in the hotel lobby. He had a bouquet of lilies in his hand and he was constantly checking his watch. He should have been in bed hours ago. This season, he'd taken to turning in early when he was on road trips. He would talk to Haley and then he would get a good night's rest for the game ahead. She was taking the red eye, though, and she and Sam would be arriving in about thirty minutes.

The hotel lobby was nearly deserted. The night staff stood behind the counter, typing away on the computer. Nathan figured that with so few people around, they were probably playing solitaire. A few of the maids were cleaning the floors, furniture, and fixtures in the lobby. Nathan hoped that he wasn't in the way, but he wasn't leaving. Nathan knew that Haley flying to meet him for an away game wasn't going to happen often. The main reason it was happening this time was because her parents were also here. He was excited, though.

A few hours earlier, he watched her set and saw her perform at her clubs opening through the live stream Peyton set up. It wasn't the same as being in there in person and he wished he could have been there. She was great, though. Her set was great and the audience had loved her. Now, in a short amount of time, he was going to get to hold her and tell her how great she was.

He looked at his watch again. Had only two minutes past since he last checked? She called him after her plane landed. Something about her sounded off. He hoped that it was just that she was tired. She had a busy week. She, Peyton, and Brooke had worked hard to get their club open. She also had a long day. He knew she probably woke up early to make sure that she and Sam were packed for their trip. Even though she probably packed the day before, he knew she'd want to double, possibly triple, check. She also had to get Sam to school, and then she had to go on stage and perform. Add to that a red eye flight, she was probably exhausted. He hoped that's all that he heard in her voice. It hadn't sounded like it, though. He knew what she sounded like when she was tired and it felt like there was something more going on.

Nathan saw her immediately as she came through the automatic door of the hotel. She had Sam in one arm and was rolling her suitcase along with the other. He stood up and nearly sprinted over to her. When she saw him, she smiled and Nathan thought that a part of her looked relieved. He looked at Sam, noticing him sound asleep. Nathan kissed Haley before taking her suitcase from her. She had her carryon and purse attached to the top and Nathan made sure they were secure before the three of them headed for the reception desk.

"Okay flight?" Nathan whispered, not wanting to wake up Sam.

"Yeah, it was fine. I'm glad to be here, though. It'll be nice to have a bed and be able to stretch out and relax."

"Is he out?" Nathan nodded toward Sam.

"Like a log. He fell asleep as soon as we got in the car."

"Why don't you let me hold him while you check in."

"Thanks," Haley said, handing Sam to Nathan. Haley's heart swelled as she saw how gently Nathan took hold of her son. He was making sure that he was secure, but also that he didn't wake him up.

Haley quickly got them checked in and within no time, she and Nathan were walking into the hotel room. Nathan looked at the small room that was filled with two double beds taking up most of the space.

"Two beds?" Nathan was whispering although he knew that once Sam was sound asleep, he wasn't going to wake up.

"Sam likes his own. He feels like a big boy," she smiled.

"Okay, which one should I set him on?"

"Doesn't matter," Haley said.

Nathan walked over to the bed closest to him and gently set Sam down. The boy turned to his side, still sound asleep.

Haley rolled her suitcase to the corner of the room and walked over to Sam. She gently took his shoes and jacket off before lifting him and putting him under the covers, tucking him in.

Nathan had taken a seat on the edge of the bed that would be Haley's. "I love watching you with him," he whispered. Haley smiled and walked over to him. She leaned down and kissed him.

"Hi," she said.

Nathan placed his hands on the sides of her face and kissed her more deeply than she kissed him.

"Hi," he replied. He lifted the flowers from where he set them on the bed. "They didn't have little purple wildflowers," he explained.

"They're still beautiful." Haley took a seat next to him and took her own shoes off. She lifted her arms above her head, stretching, before lying back on the bed.

"Are you okay, Hales?" Nathan placed the palms of his hands on the bed and leaned back so he could see Haley where she was laying.

Without opening her eyes, she answered, "I'm just tired. It's been a long week." Haley hadn't decided if she was going to tell Nathan or her parents about the fact that Rachel knew just how she conceived Sam. For now, she would just say that she was tired. Hopefully after she slept, she'd be able to be more normal around them.

Nathan lay down next to her and reached over to kiss her. "Maybe this weekend wasn't such a great idea." Nathan hated saying it, but if Haley needed rest then maybe she and Sam should have stayed in Los Angeles.

Haley turned her head so that she was facing Nathan. She could see the disappointment on his face. She reached down and laced her fingers through his. "There's nowhere I'd rather be than here with you and Sam."

Nathan could hear in her voice the sincerity and had no choice but to believe her. He too turned his head so that he was facing her. He smiled and scooted closer so that he could kiss her. "I'll let you get some sleep." He was about to get up when Haley squeezed his hand and bit her lip.

"Stay here. Do you think we could do that? Would you mind that? I'd just like to be held tonight," she admitted.

Nathan looked at her. His eyes bore into her, trying to figure out what was going on with her. She couldn't just be tired. "You're sure you're just tired?"

Haley nodded, not speaking. She scooted closer to Nathan as he wrapped her arm around her shoulders. She rested her head on his chest and placed her hand on his stomach. They stayed that way for a little bit until Haley felt herself falling asleep. She knew they couldn't sleep like that. They were only halfway on the bed, their knees bent and over the edge. She reluctantly got up and went to her suitcase. Nathan lifted himself up, leaning on his elbows.

"I'm just going to change," she explained. She made her way to the bathroom, but looked back to him. "Nathan, you don't have to stay tonight. If you want to go to your room and get some rest, I understand."

Nathan stood up and went to his girlfriend. He pulled her close to him and kissed the top of her head. "If you want me to stay, I'll stay. Go ahead and get more comfortable. I'll be here waiting for you."

Haley smiled before retreating into the bathroom. Nathan stayed there for a few seconds before turning back to the bed. He took his shoes off first, then his socks. He then removed his shirt, leaving his clothing in a pile in the corner. He knew Haley liked to keep things tidy. He may not be the best at folding laundry, but he could certainly keep things out of the way for her.

Nathan was about to unbuckle his belt and remove his jeans when he stopped. Would that be going too far? Would that make Haley uncomfortable? He didn't want that. Tonight she wanted him to hold her and he wanted to do that for her. He loved holding Haley. It always felt like they were the perfect fit for each other. This amazed him even further because of their size difference. Haley was a tiny woman, short and slim. She had curves, but you could definitely describe her as petite. He was much larger. He wasn't the bulkiest basketball player, but he had muscle. He was a foot taller than she was. He thought back to the situation at hand. He would ask Haley what would make her most comfortable. They were being honest with each other, they were being open, and they were discussing things. He could ask her something as simple as whether or not he should keep his pants on.

Nathan was sitting at the edge of the bed, waiting for Haley, and trying to think of how he could ask her about this without it being awkward. His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed light from the bathroom streaming into the room now that she'd opened the door. Nathan was always under the impression that Haley didn't realize just how beautiful and sexy she was. She was ready for bed, her hair was up in a bun, she had no makeup on, and she was in a pair of plaid pajama pants, and a loose fitting gray t-shirt. She was stunning.

Haley noticed Nathan sitting on the bed without a shirt as soon as she walked out of the bathroom. Going in there to change had provided her with not only the chance to get more comfortable, but to prepare herself for sleeping in the same bed as her boyfriend. Nothing would happen. They both knew it. Sam was in the bed next to them. But still, Haley thought that just sleeping next to Nathan was intimate. She was a little nervous about walking out of the bathroom without any makeup, but she knew she couldn't sleep with any on. She'd been wearing more than she usually did since she'd come from a performance. She didn't like performance makeup. It was always more than the small amount she would use just for going to work or going about her day.

She apprehensively walked toward him and tried to focus on his face instead of the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt. Haley wasn't blind; she had noticed well built men before. This was Nathan, though. This was her boyfriend. He wasn't overly muscular and Haley thought that was just right. His abs were defined and his chest was strong. Haley was guessing from his appearance that he must sleep shirtless.

Haley tried making small talk, "I had a lot of makeup on after the show tonight."

Nathan nodded and looked at Haley as she sat down next to him. "I, um. Well, Hales, I usually sleep in just my boxers. I wasn't sure how we were gonna… you know. If you're uncomfortable, I can sleep in my jeans."

Haley blushed. "Oh, yeah. No, go ahead. Thank you for thinking of me."

"I always am." Nathan stood and went to the corner where he'd set his shirt, shoes, and socks. He removed his belt and jeans and didn't notice that Haley was watching him from the corner of her eye. She was trying not to stare and instead turned her eyes to the patterned carpet on the floor. She couldn't see it very well in the dimly lit room, but it looked like there were small diamonds or checks on the carpet. She looked up again when she felt the mattress move with Nathan's weight.

"Are you sure you're okay with this, Hales?"

Haley had been stressed ever since she left Tric. On the plane, holding Sam had a calming effect on her. Now it was Nathan who was calming her nerves. No matter what Rachel chose to do, no matter if Haley decided to tell Nathan or her family about the fact that Rachel knew, Haley knew that she could count on Nathan. He would be there and he would be concerned for her and do what he could to make sure that she and Sam were okay. He'd proven that time and time again in the time that she'd gotten to know him. Even before they began dating, he was a great friend. He was still a great friend, but so much more.

Haley got up and began pulling the blankets down. Nathan realized what she was doing and stood up so she could finish the task. When she was done, she faced him and smiled. Nathan took that as a sign that she really was okay with this and he slipped under the covers. He propped himself up on his elbow as Haley got into bed next to him. She did just that. Nathan was lying on his back and Haley climbed in next to him, resting her head on his bare chest. Just as she had done at Tric a few days earlier, Haley could hear Nathan's heart beating. She closed her eyes and snuggled in closer to him. Nathan wrapped one arm around Haley. The other he placed on his own chest, taking the hand she had there in his.

"Goodnight, Hales. I love you."

"I love you too, Nathan," Haley said, yawning. Haley turned so that she was more on her side and therefore closer to Nathan. Nathan watched her for a while and could tell when her breathing evened out and she was asleep. Before closing his own eyes, he looked over at the other bed and saw Sam. The boy was sound asleep, much like his mother was.

* * *

The sunlight barely came streaming in through the curtains covering the sliding glass door of the hotel room. Haley yawned as she began waking up. She sighed contentedly and snuggled closer to the hard, solid body next to her. She opened her eyes and saw Nathan watching her with a smile on his face.

"Morning." She smiled at him and then turned so she could see Sam. He was sitting up on the bed watching cartoons. "What time is it?"

"It's about 9:45," Nathan answered.

Haley's eyes went wide with shock. "Are you serious? I don't even remember the last time I slept in that late!"

"Morning, mommy!" Sam stayed in his spot on his own bed, watching his cartoons.

"Morning, baby. Did you sleep okay?"

"Yep! I feel great!"

"If it makes you feel better, it's only 7:45 at home," Nathan told her. "Besides, you needed the rest. Sam and I were fine. Actually, we were just about to order some breakfast."

"I need a shower and Sam needs a bath," Haley said.

"We took care of the bath. Hope you don't mind."

Haley sat up and looked at Sam again. Sure enough, he was in clean clothes. Nathan really had taken care of it.

"I had to go in your suitcase for his clothes and bath stuff. Sorry about that."

"No, it's okay. Thank you for doing that." Haley was genuinely touched. She remembered what she'd thought about last night. Nathan was always there for her and Sam. Sometimes, it was the little things that really mattered. She needed to sleep, so he took care of Sam for her. She thought again about their conversation earlier in the week at Tric. She remembered thinking about how great Nathan was with Sam and how great he would be with their children. She smiled again and leaned in to kiss him, but stopped after a quick peck.

"I need to shower and clean up," she announced. "I'm sure I look awful," she added, offhandedly.

"You look gorgeous, Hales."

Haley could see the honesty in his face, but she still thought he couldn't possibly think that. She's slept for hours. Her hair was probably a tangled mess at the very least.

"You're beautiful, Haley. I was actually thinking of showering too. I could go up and do that and then the three of us could eat. Unless you've got to meet your parents."

"Not for a few more hours." Haley was now going through her suitcase, getting out clothes for the day. "How about we order now, then by the time we're done the food should be here?"

"Sounds good."

* * *

Nathan returned to Haley and Sam's room before Haley was out of the shower. Since Sam wasn't allowed to open the door for anyone, Haley had let Nathan take her keycard with him. Nathan and Sam were sitting at the table in the corner of the room, working on one of Sam's activity books, when there was a knock on the door. Nathan got up to answer it, thinking it would be breakfast. He was surprised when he opened the door to find three people there. An older couple and a woman in her late twenties, maybe her early thirties, stood there smiling. Nathan recognized them immediately from all the pictures Haley had in her house.

"You're not our Haley Bob," the older woman said.

"Grandma!" Sam jumped out of his chair and ran to Lydia James. She picked him up and hugged him tightly.

"Samuel James, I think you've grown an entire foot since the last time I saw you!"

"I don't think so," Sam answered, thinking about it. "Nathan, have I grown since Christmas?"

"Not much, from what the height chart in the laundry room says."

"Well, well," the younger woman said, studying Nathan carefully.

"Nathan, is that the food? I'm starving," Haley declared, walking out of the bathroom while putting on a pair of earrings. She stopped when she noticed her family standing in the room. The shock wore off after a couple of seconds and she smiled. "What are you guys doing here? We weren't supposed to meet for a few more hours." Haley hugged all three of them warmly. Sam was passed to his grandfather and the other woman with them.

"Vivian, I didn't know you were going to be here!"

"Last minute trip. I had a medical conference," Vivian replied. "Good to see you, baby sis."

Nathan had stepped back and let the family have their reunion. He noticed that Haley's father was eyeing him.

"So, you're Nathan Scott," Jimmy James greeted the man he'd just found answering the door to his daughter's hotel room.

"It's nice to meet you, sir," Nathan shook hands with Jimmy and smiled politely.

"Sir? He's so formal," Lydia said, smiling.

"Mrs. James, it's nice to meet you." Nathan extended his hand to shake hers. She took it, but instead of shaking it, she pulled him in for a hug.

"It's nice to finally meet you," she told him as she let him go.

"I'm Vivian, Haley's sister." Vivian shook Nathan's hand and smiled. She looked a lot like Haley, just a few years younger. Her hair was a lighter color, her eyes were shaped a little differently, but they looked very much alike.

"So, you said something about food, Haley Bob?"

"Oh yeah, we ordered breakfast. I can call and get something for you guys," Haley offered.

"Oh, please we ate hours ago," Jimmy scoffed. "I'm surprised you haven't. You're an early riser."

"I slept in," Haley told them. "It's been a long week."

"I got my own bed," Sam exclaimed.

"Well aren't you a big boy! You're just about ready to vote then," Jimmy teased his grandson.

"Mommy said I have to be eighteen."

"Well, if you three are about to eat, we'll get out of your hair," Vivian said, knowing they'd barged in on Haley, Sam, and Nathan.

"You guys don't have to go," Haley told them.

"We weren't going to stay, we just wanted to say hi," Vivian answered.

"You're sure?"

"Oh yeah, we have things to do," Jimmy threw in. "Nathan, it was good to meet you finally. Looking forward to dinner tonight."

"You too, Mr. James."

"It's Jimmy."

Nathan nodded. "Jimmy."

"And it's Lydia."

"Okay, Lydia. It was nice to meet you. Haley always talks about you guys, so it's nice to finally get to meet you."

"Well, we're excited we finally got to do this! Come on, Jimmy. Let's get you on one of those trains."

Jimmy, Lydia, and Vivian all left. No sooner had they left then breakfast did actually arrive. The three sat around the table eating. Sam and Nathan did most of the talking. Haley quietly watched them and would sporadically contribute to the conversation. She was smiling, but Nathan could tell that something was going on with her. He had really hoped that she would be better after sleeping, but she still seemed to be distracted. If this kept on throughout the day, he would have to break down and ask her about it.

"I'm sorry about them barging in like that," Haley apologized.

"I think it was nice. You're all comfortable with each other. When I told your mom that I was glad to finally meet them and that you talked about them a lot, I meant it. And it was nice to say, because you couldn't say that about my mom. I love her, but we're not close. We're closer than we were, but I don't talk about them that much. My family, I mean. I'm closest with Lucas and well, you know him."

"There's a lot of us, though. Sometimes boundaries don't exist."

"Well, I still think it's nice you guys are so comfortable together. It's cool your sister could make the trip too."

"I know," Haley finished chewing a bite of her eggs. "I had no idea she'd be coming. By the time this trip is over, you'll only have three more James siblings to meet."

"Any I should worry about?"

"Aunt Taylor," Sam said.

Nathan laughed and looked from Sam to Haley. "Aunt Taylor?"

"Taylor's the wild child. We love her, though. Right, Sam?"

Sam nodded. "Aunt Taylor's fun!"

"But, I should be worried?"

"Aunt Quinn says Aunt Taylor would hit on anything with two legs." Sam played with the syrup on his plate. "Mommy, what's that mean?"

"Uh, don't worry about it, sweetie. We're going to have a talk with Aunt Quinn next time we see her though."

Nathan laughed at the look of panic on Haley's face. If he knew Haley, and he did, then he knew her sister Quinn would be hearing a few words next time they saw each other.

"What are you doing today, Nathan?" Sam took a drink from his orange juice, using both hands to lift the glass.

"I have to go to practice in a bit. After that, I'm meeting you guys for dinner."

"Are we gonna be with grandma and grandpa today, mommy?"

Haley nodded, "And Aunt Vivian and Uncle Seth. We've got a big day."

"What are we having for dinner?"

"We're going to a restaurant that Nathan knows."

"Yeah," Nathan continued. "They've got the best ribs you'll ever eat."

"Do I get to eat with my hands?"

"This time you do," Haley answered.

"Cool!"

Sam continued eating his pancakes. Nathan looked at Haley and watched her. "Are you okay? Are you still tired?"

Haley set her fork down on her plate. "I'm great. I slept great, Nathan. Thank you for last night. I feel a million times better today. I was just really tired."

Nathan saw Haley chew on her lip as she moved her food around on her plate with her fork. He decided not to push the issue. "Anything you need, Hales. Anything." He placed his hand on the table and gently ran his fingers over hers.

* * *

Sam was sitting in the lobby, arm wrestling with Jimmy James. Jimmy was clearly letting Sam win, but never letting on that he was. Sam had told Jimmy that he'd been practicing with Nathan. Jimmy then told his grandson to prove it. The two were now locked in round three. Lydia was watching the two of them fondly as Vivian sat in a nearby chair, clearly amused.

They were waiting for Seth and Hugh to arrive. The James family would be spending the day walking around Chicago and seeing the sights. Seth and Hugh would be their tour guides. Nathan was unable to join them. He had practice and would be involved in commitments with the team until it was time to meet Haley and her family for dinner.

"I'm sorry I can't stay and meet Seth," Nathan apologized.

"Don't worry about," Haley said. "You have to be on time for practice."

"Take it easy today, okay, Hales? I don't want you getting rundown and tired again."

Haley bit down on her lip. She had been tired last night and she loved how concerned Nathan was for her. The two were saying goodbye before Nathan left. They were off to the side of the lobby. Haley had a clear view of her son and her parents.

"I love you. I'll see you for dinner," she leaned up and kissed him.

"Oh my God, it's Naley!" Nathan and Haley were startled before their kiss ended by a girl standing next to them. She couldn't have been more than eighteen. She stood in front of them, excited and smiling. "I'm a huge fan of the two of you and I'm on vacation and here you two are and I can't believe it!"

Nathan and Haley both smiled politely. Both said hello to the girl as she began rummaging in her purse. "Nancy! Come here!" She looked to her right and started waving another girl over. "Do you think I could get a picture?"

Nathan and Haley looked at each other and smiled.

"Sure, but it's got to be quick. He's got to get to practice," Haley told the girl.

"Oh, thanks. Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you."

Nathan laughed a little as he and Haley stepped on either side of the girl. They each leaned in for the picture and smiled. The girl's friend took the picture and the girl turned back to Nathan and Haley.

"You guys are cuter in person than in the magazines!"

"Uh, thanks," Nathan said.

"What's your name?"

The girl went speechless and had to think before answering. "Laura."

"Laura, it was nice meeting you. Enjoy the rest of your trip."

"Yeah," Nathan added. "Have a great trip."

The girl nodded and turned back to her friend. Nathan and Haley turned back to each other.

Haley looked at her watch. "You have to get going. I'll see you at dinner and thanks again for last night."

"Anything for you," he repeated what he'd said earlier. "I love you, Haley."

"I love you, too." They kissed again before Nathan left. As he was leaving, he waved goodbye to Haley's family.

* * *

**Note:** Thank you for reading and reviewing! I'm going to try and have the next two chapters up soon.


	23. Chapter TwentyTwo

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note: **I was trying to get this up sooner, I just couldn't. Sorry about that. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

* * *

Nathan half walked-half jogged down the street. The team meeting had gone longer than he'd been told it would. He quickly had to drop off his gym bag at the hotel before heading to the restaurant. He had texted Haley to tell her he was running late. He told them to get a table and not to wait for him. He looked in the window of the restaurant before walking in. He saw the James family sitting and waiting. Nathan sighed, shook his head, and smiled. Of course they waited.

Nathan walked in and stepped toward them. When Sam saw him, he jumped off of the bench he'd been sitting on and ran up to Nathan. He jumped up into his arms and he and Nathan fist bumped.

"How was practice?" Sam stayed put in Nathan's arms, not wanting to be set down.

"Pretty good. How was Chicago?"

"We had so much fun!"

"I told you guys not to wait," Nathan said, leaning in to kiss Haley.

"You were only fifteen minutes late," she kissed him back.

"Nathan, this is my brother. Seth James, Nathan Scott."

Nathan shook hands with Haley's brother. He looked a lot like Jimmy James. Another man was standing next to him who was slightly taller, a bit more slim. "It's nice to meet you Seth." Nathan looked to the other man and reached to shake his hand. "You must be Hugh."

"Good to meet you," Hugh greeted him.

"I'm sorry I made you guys wait," Nathan apologized.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Nate. Now, let's get a table, I'm starving," Jimmy ordered.

Everyone laughed as the hostess led them to a table near the back. Nathan didn't put Sam down until the booster seat was set up in a chair next to Haley's. As they were walking to the table, Seth and Vivian walked behind Nathan, Haley, and Sam. When Vivian noticed Nathan holding Haley's hand, she nudged her brother. Both smiled.

"So, Nathan, Haley tells us you've been here before," Lydia said after everyone got in their seats.

"Uh, yeah, a couple of times with the team. It's pretty good. I hope you'll all enjoy it."

"I'm sure we will," Lydia told him.

Seth was glancing through the menu. "I think a client recommended this place to me once."

"I've been here with some guys from work," Hugh added. "It's good. So, Nathan, how did you meet Hales?"

Nathan and Haley looked at each other and smiled. "Go ahead," Nathan told her.

Haley smiled at him and looked back at Hugh. "We met about five years ago actually."

Nathan's smile widened. Normally when they talked about when they first got together, they started with the charity event the previous August. He liked that Haley was acknowledging the first meeting.

"Five years ago?" Vivian set her menu down at the end of the table.

"Yeah, at school. Duke was there for a game. He played in it. I was waiting for a friend and he walked up and started talking to me."

"Actually," Nathan interrupted, "I walked up and started flirting with her. I asked her out and she said no."

"Playing hard to get. Good call, Haley Bob. Make the boy work for it," Jimmy said, proud of his daughter.

"Oh, she did," Nathan laughed.

"You obviously didn't start dating five years ago," Hugh observed.

"No, we didn't see each other again after that night," Haley continued. "Last August I was at a charity event and he sits down next to me."

"Turns out this entire time, my brother knew who she was. Small world."

"Sounds like you were thinking about her," Seth noticed.

Nathan nodded and smiled.

"How sweet," Lydia cooed.

"Now, I don't really know much about basketball," Jimmy began, "how's your team doing this year, Nathan?"

"Pretty good. We should do well tomorrow."

The conversation was put on hold when the waitress arrived. They each gave their order. As they ate dinner, they all got to know each other. Haley loved seeing her family get to know Nathan. She could tell he was a big hit with all of them. She couldn't help but notice that he seemed very at ease. He didn't look at all nervous about meeting her family. She had been a wreck meeting his mom.

Nathan was enjoying the James family. Haley had once told him that they could be a little chaotic. He believed that. Her parents were a lot of fun. They loved and were protective over their daughter, but they were also laid back. He still noticed something a little off about Haley. He made up his mind half-way through dinner to ask her about it again. This time, he wasn't going to give up until she told him what was on her mind.

Before leaving after dinner, Haley excused herself to the ladies room. Vivian followed behind her. Once inside, Vivian checked the other stalls. Once she was sure they were empty, she turned to her confused sister.

"Okay," Vivian gushed, "he is great."

Haley smiled and blushed. "He really is."

"I'm so excited for you, Hales! My baby sister is head over heels in love! Now, how have things been with… you know?"

"When you say 'you know,' what exactly do you mean?"

Vivian sighed. "With everything you've told him. When we found out that you were open about everything, we didn't really get the chance to talk."

"Oh. That. Yeah, it's great. When I told him, he was patient. He just listened and he held me. He had a few questions. He wanted to know if they caught him. How I was. He's also been really patient with everything else." Haley whispered, "The physical stuff."

"You found a keeper, Haley Bob."

Haley nodded.

"That's good he's being patient with you. It's great you found someone like that. Taylor reads a lot of tabloids. She says he can't be trusted, but that isn't the guy I met."

"Taylor needs to bite her tongue." Haley looked toward the door before speaking again. "Actually, he usually stops before I do when we're making out."

Vivian raised her eyebrow.

"He does. I mean, sometimes he has to. But, he's always thinking about me and how he doesn't want to pressure me."

"What do you mean he has to stop?"

Haley blushed again, this time even deeper. "Nevermind."

"No. Not a chance. Spill."

"Do I have to?" Haley guessed from Vivian's expression that she'd better continue. "Fine, he gets a little excited."

Vivian laughed, loudly. "Nice work, baby sis."

"I feel bad every time it happens, Viv. I feel like such a tease."

"Don't. You're not a tease. You've just been through a lot. I am so happy for you, Haley."

The two sisters hugged before leaving the bathroom. When they joined everyone just outside the restaurant, Nathan took Haley's hand.

"You sure took a long time, mommy," Sam told her.

"They were having girl talk," Hugh explained.

"What's that?"

"It's when girls go to the bathroom to talk because they don't want boys to hear."

"Thanks, Hugh," Haley told him sarcastically.

"It's best we men learn early. Isn't that right, gentlemen?"

The group laughed, most of the men agreeing with Hugh.

"Mommy? Can I stay with grandma and grandpa tonight?"

"Oh, sweetie, grandma and grandpa want their alone time," Haley told Sam.

"After being in an RV together for the past few days, we've had about enough of each other. If Sam wants to have a sleepover, then he can," Jimmy joked.

"You guys sure?" Haley didn't want to impose on her parents. Sure, they were her parents, but they didn't have to do this.

"It'll be fun. He can have the bunk beds," Lydia was excited.

"The bottom bunk," Haley ordered. "Let's get back to the hotel and get your stuff. You guys can drop him off in the morning."

"Or, we can meet you at the game," Jimmy suggested.

"And don't say you don't want to impose, we're happy to take the boy."

"Okay, okay. Looks like you're having a sleepover with grandma and grandpa, buddy."

"YES!" Sam jumped up in the air.

* * *

Haley and Sam got his things together. They gathered his toothbrush, pajamas, clothes for the next day, and a few other things he would need. Haley and Nathan said their goodbyes to her family for the night. They would all see each other again tomorrow.

"They all liked you," Haley told him after they had all gone.

"I'm glad."

Haley sat on the edge of the bed and sighed. Nathan looked at her. He could see the stress clearly on her features. Whatever it was that was on her mind was weighing heavily.

"Hales, I'll be back in ten minutes."

"Oh, okay. Is anything wrong?"

"No, but I'll be right back." With a nod, Nathan left the room.

Haley got herself ready for bed. After spending the previous night with Nathan, she now felt more comfortable being in her pajamas around him. She had her pajamas on, her face was washed, and she was in the middle of tying her hair back into a bun when there was a knock on the door. Looking through the peephole, she saw that it was Nathan and let him in. He walked in, carrying his luggage with him.

"What's all this?"

"I'm staying here tonight. This is all my stuff since we're leaving tomorrow anyway."

"Why?" Haley was confused. She had loved spending the night with Nathan before, but he seemed so resolute.

Before he answered her, Nathan kicked off his shoes, hung his jacket on the back of a chair, and began making himself comfortable. Before Haley knew it, he was sitting on the bed opposite hers in just his boxers.

"Haley, please sit down and talk to me."

Haley was even more confused. She thought that if anything, he was the one who needed to do some talking. She sat down next to him.

"Nathan, what's going on?"

"That's what I wanted to ask you. Last night you said you were tired and I knew there was more goin' on. I let it go, I held you, and I loved holding you, Hales, I'd do it every night if I could."

Haley smiled and leaned in to rest her head on his shoulder. After a few moments, she looked back up at him.

"Hales, something more is going on with you. I get you don't want to talk about it, but it's been with you all day, I'm guessing. I think you need to talk to me. I'm not leaving until you do. I'll sleep in the other bed if you're more comfortable with that. But I know you need me, whether you want to admit it or not."

Haley sighed and let a few tears fall. She whispered, "I do need you. I'm sorry."

"Hales, what are you apologizing for?" Nathan scooted closer to the woman next to him and wrapped both of his arms around her.

"For not talking to you about this. It's just, you have a game, and you were meeting my parents. Nathan, I didn't want to stress you out."

"Whatever this is, it's bothering you a lot. Maybe it'll just help you to get it out."

Haley rubbed her hands over her face and stood up. She began pacing. Nathan watched her, still sitting on the bed. A feeling of worry rumbled in his stomach.

"Haley?"

"After the show at Tric, I went backstage. I was just sitting there when Rachel came in."

"Rachel Gatina?"

"Yeah." Haley stopped pacing and looked at Nathan. She sat next to him. "She knows, Nathan."

Nathan placed his hand over Haley's. "Knows?"

"She knows," Haley paused and bit her lip, "that I was raped and that's how I got pregnant."

Nathan was speechless. How could Rachel have possibly found out? Haley was so good at keeping it on a need to know basis. Rachel was definitely someone who didn't need to know. Rachel had been around after Sam was born, but Haley never indicated that she could have possibly known.

Nathan pulled Haley closer to him. "How does she know?"

"I was photographed leaving counseling. Apparently, the paparazzi who took the pictures didn't know what he had. He gave them to Rachel. All of them. She did her research."

"I'm so sorry, Hales. I'm so, so sorry." He held her closely. He didn't want to let her go and he had a feeling that she didn't want to be let go. No wonder she wanted to be held the night before. Rachel finding out probably made her feel vulnerable. Maybe she felt like if he held her, she might be more secure.

"Do you know what she's going to do, Hales?"

Haley sniffled a little, a few stray tears still coming down her cheeks. "She didn't say. She left after she handed me the pictures."

"She gave them to you?"

"She gave me copies. She has a memory card, apparently. She can't be this mean, Nathan. I just can't believe that she would be this mean. She can't do this to Sam, Nathan. How am I supposed to explain this to him? He's not ready for that. I'm not ready for that."

"I don't know, Hales. I don't know why she would do that. But no matter what happens, I'm going to be here for you."

"Thank you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just didn't want to bother you with it. You have to play."

"I'll be fine, Hales. Don't worry about me. Just, if something's bothering you, tell me about it. We're in this together."

"We're in this together," she repeated. She hesitated before answering, wiping the last tears from her eyes. Haley put her hand on Nathan's bare shoulder and smiled at him. She brought her face closer, so that they were less than an inch apart. She closed that distance and kissed him. He followed her lead and kissed her back, taking her face in his hands. Letting instinct take over, Haley bit lightly on his lower lip, getting a low groan from Nathan in response.

Haley scooted back on the bed and leaned back, taking Nathan with her. His upper body covered hers as they continued making out. She had one hand traveling down his back while the other was at the back of his head. She moved her body so that she was underneath him more. She pulled her lips from his momentarily.

"Is this okay?"

Nathan looked at her, confused. "Shouldn't I be asking that?"

Haley put her hand on his chest and scooted further up the bed so that she was sitting against the head board. "I got a little carried away. It happens a lot," she confessed.

Nathan sat next to her and rested his head on top of hers. He also linked his arm with hers and held her hand. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"I shouldn't have. With you in just your underwear."

"I'd never pressure you."

"I know. But I feel like I'm pressuring you and then yanking the rug out from under you."

"You're in the driver's seat, Hales, and that's fine. I can stop whenever you want us to."

"If you don't mind, I'd like it if you stayed here tonight. In this bed. I like sleeping next to you."

"I'd like that a lot."

"You didn't seem nervous to meet my family."

"Uh, I was. Then I saw how worried you were and I forgot that I was nervous."

"Well, at least that was good for something."

"I think I would have rather been nervous about meeting them. I don't like it when things happen to you, Hales. It's worse worrying about you."

"That's why I didn't tell you, I didn't want to worry you."

"Yeah, but I was worrying without knowing what was goin' on. I liked your parents and your brother and sister. They were great."

"I think they liked you too. I know Vivian liked you."

"Is that what you two were talking about in the bathroom?"

"Maybe," Haley's smile was coy. "Vivian said you were great."

"Great, huh?"

"I agree with her." Haley leaned up and kissed him.

"I love you, Haley James."

"I love you too."

* * *

The next day, Haley, Sam, and her family sat at the United Center as the game was underway. Nathan was playing really well. Haley loved watching him move around on a basketball court. He was so focused on the game and on doing his best. His passion for it was easy to see.

Sam was wearing his jersey. Haley had on a purple t-shirt with Nathan's number and name on the back – the same t-shirt he had given her months earlier before they were even dating. She noticed her family cheering for Nathan as well. She also noticed them staring at her every once in a while. She turned her attention back to Nathan, though.

She watched him as he sprinted down the court, dribbling the ball. He jumped into the air. It looked like it should be impossible. No human should be able to leap like that. Yet, Haley watched with awe as Nathan jumped and dunked the ball. He hung to the rim of the basket for a few seconds before letting go. Haley couldn't help but notice his biceps as they bulged before he let go and landed back on the ground.

Vivian whispered in her sister's ear, "He looks good out there."

"I know," Haley answered, her gaze never leaving Nathan.

Vivian gently elbowed Haley in the ribs before going back to watching the game. The Lakers won and were well on their way to making the playoffs. The team had to fly to their next city that night. Nathan was able to briefly say goodbye to Haley, Sam, and the James family before he had to leave.

Vivian and Seth pulled Nathan aside after the game to talk to him. Literally, they pulled him aside, telling everyone else that they needed to have a protective sibling chat with their baby sister's boyfriend. Haley tried to stop them, but her parents stopped her.

"So, Scott." Seth crossed his arms and looked Nathan up and down.

"We like you," Vivian continued. "We think you're good for her."

"She looks really happy. So, don't screw it up."

"You screw it up, you'll wish you'd never been born."

Nathan nervously tried to smile. "Peyton and Brooke said the same thing."

"Good. We mean it," Vivian told him.

"I love Haley."

"We know that," Seth said. "You two look at each other like googly eyed teenagers. It's kind of gross."

"Anyway, we'll let you say goodbye to her and catch your flight."

Nathan nodded before turning back to Haley and Sam to say goodbye to them. As Nathan was saying goodbye to Haley, he made her promise to call him if she needed anything. She promised just that and whispered so that no one else could hear that they were in this together.

* * *

The day after Haley and Sam got back into Los Angeles, she was in the office while Sam was at school. She had the space to herself. Peyton was out of town with one of their musicians who was on his first tour. Nathan would be coming home the next day and even though she had seen him the day before, she couldn't wait for him to come home. Haley looked at her laptop and at the work in front of her, but she couldn't concentrate. She was distracted. She was also forming a plan. Before she lost her nerve, she picked up the phone.

"Millicent, could you come in here for a minute?"

Millicent was in the office quickly. Haley marveled at how efficient the young woman was.

"What can I do for you, Haley?"

"I need you to do something and not tell Brooke or Peyton about it. If that makes you uncomfortable, I understand. You can say no and I'm not going to hold it against you or anything. It's a personal issue, though, and it needs to be kept that way."

Millicent thought and nodded her head. If Haley wanted her to do something, she would. She had worked for Haley, Peyton, and Brooke for a long time and she trusted all of them. "What do you need, Haley?"

"I need you to find an address and phone number for Rachel Gatina. She runs a gossip blog."

"I've heard of her. I'll get that for you as soon as I can."

"Thank you, Millicent."

* * *

**Note:** I'm hard at work on the next chapter. Again, thank you for reading and reviewing! I'm always shocked to see how many reviews there are.


	24. Chapter TwentyThree

**Disclaimer: **One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Two updates in two days! I wanted to get this chapter out. I hope you'll really enjoy it.

Some of you have asked if I have other stories or plan on writing when this story is done. I don't have any other stories. I do have several ideas for other stories though. Thank you for the interest!

* * *

"I have a plan," Haley declared as Nathan walked into her office. Peyton was still out of town. Nathan was coming to have lunch with her. He carried with him a bag of food and began setting it on the table. He set Haley's sandwich next to his own and put a few napkins next to it. She came to sit next to him and draped a napkin over her lap.

"Is this plan about what I think it is?" Nathan gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"It is. It's about Rachel. I know what I'm going to do."

"That's great, Hales." Nathan picked up his sandwich. "That is great, right?"

"We'll see how it goes."

"Care to tell me what this plan is?"

Haley swiveled so that her legs were now over his and she was facing him. She bit into her sandwich and chewed before answering.

"You seem relieved. It's good to see," Nathan observed.

Haley bit her lip and cocked her head to one side. "I don't know if this is going to work. I feel better, though, knowing that I'm not just sitting here waiting."

Nathan felt better knowing that Haley was feeling better. He'd been thinking of her constantly since she'd left Chicago. He had played well in their game the day before, but his thoughts were constantly on Haley. He still couldn't believe that Rachel had found out and that she might publish this. Couldn't she see that she wasn't just potentially hurting Haley?

Nathan had found out five years after the fact that Haley had been raped, but even then he had been angry that someone felt they could hurt her. He wasn't table to do anything about it then. He felt such a strong urge to protect her, and to protect Sam. He wanted to defend them from Rachel now. But, this is something Haley needed to handle. Nathan had had problems with his temper in the past. He'd often gone off the handle and it had gotten him into a lot of fights. Being with Haley, it was like he was constantly learning. Lucas had always told him to think before he acted. Now, with Haley and with Sam, he wanted to do that.

"I could take her out if you want me to," Nathan joked.

"Ha ha. Very funny, mister."

"So, what's this plan involve?"

"It's pretty simple, really. I was just… well, I was wondering if you'd come with me."

"Of course," Nathan said, his mouth full with his sandwich. He took a drink of his soda to wash it down. "When? And where?"

"I was thinking after we finish eating. Before I lose my nerve."

"Absolutely. Like I told you, we're in this together. You and me."

"Where did I find you?" Haley reached out and caressed his cheek with her hand.

"Stanford University, five years ago. And I think I found you. Lookin' all sexy, leaning on that lamppost. I got all crushed out on you for over four years."

Haley blushed. "Really? Just for four years?"

"Over four years," Nathan corrected her. "I'm still all crushed out on you. Now I'm in love with you, though."

"Nathan, I want you to know something," Haley said, her tone serious. "I feel very blessed to have you in my life. And in Sam's life."

That was one of the nicest things anyone had ever said to Nathan and he couldn't help the smile that formed on his face as he reached for Haley and kissed her. She wondered where she found him, but he was usually the one wondering. He didn't know how someone as wonderful as her chose to be with him. He wasn't going to take that for granted, though. He was going to do everything he could to make sure he deserved her. Haley deserved the best and that's what Nathan was going to try and do. He was going to be the best man he could possibly be.

* * *

Haley had detailed her plan in the car as she drove her and Nathan to their destination. The plan was simple, and Haley seemed confident. They pulled into the parking lot of a small, but nice looking apartment complex. They each got out of the car and Nathan took Haley's hand, lacing his fingers with hers. He wanted her to be able to feel his support of her. They walked the small path, lined by a perfectly manicured lawn. The complex was made up of several units of light blue buildings with white trim. Haley found unit they were looking for. Taking a deep breath, she squeezed Nathan's hand before she took the first step toward the second floor.

They reached apartment twenty-two and Haley looked up at Nathan before she knocked on the door. He gave her a reassuring smile and she lifted her hand to knock on the door. After she knocked, she took two steps back and waited for the door to open. She hoped Rachel was home. If she wasn't, her plan wasn't going to go as smoothly as she'd like. She still had no idea what was going to happen, but she did feel that from what she knew of Rachel, that this might just work. Millicent had gotten Rachel's phone number and address easily. Haley guessed that since Rachel could do her work from anywhere that she just might be home.

Haley was right. Not long after she knocked on the door, a surprised Rachel opened the door. She quickly tried to mask her surprise with a smirk.

"Haley James and Nathan Scott. How did you know I lived here? Talk to some of your teammates, Nate?"

"I looked it up. You're not the only one who can do a little research," Haley told her. "Can we come in?"

Rachel shrugged and stepped aside to let them in. She shut the door behind them and went to her sofa. She propped her feet up on the coffee table. She knew exactly what they were here for, but she was going to make them take the first step. "So, you brought backup."

Haley gave Nathan's hand one more squeeze before letting it go.

"You okay?" Nathan was whispering even though there was no need for it.

"I've got this," she answered. She walked over to Rachel and sat down on the coffee table, facing Rachel. "I want the memory card, flash drive, and anything else you have about what you know."

"You know, you've never denied it," Rachel observed, not yet wanting to respond to Haley's demand.

Haley waited a few seconds before responding. She looked around the living room. It was nice. Rachel did always like nice things, though. The walls were lavender and the carpet was light gray. All around were pictures of various European cities. Haley noticed one picture in the corner that particularly caught her attention. It was of Rachel and Brooke. It was taken in San Francisco after Rachel had moved in with them. Rachel and Brooke both looked really happy. Seeing that picture, Haley felt even more confident about what she was doing.

"I can't deny it, Rachel. I am hiding it. I'm not telling anyone who doesn't need to know. And I'm doing it for all the right reasons."

"So, he knows?" Rachel nodded in Nathan's direction. He was standing a few feet of Haley in a defensive stance. His feet were the width of his shoulders and his arms were crossed over his chest.

"He needed to know. You don't need to know, Rachel. It's none of your business. It's no one's business but mine and those close to me.

"You're not a bad person, Rachel. You're vindictive and manipulative. But I don't believe you'd publish this. If you were going to, you would have already. But you wouldn't do that."

"Wouldn't I? Why don't you tell me why."

"Because you know that it isn't just me you'd be hurting. He's four and a half, Rachel. There's no way he can understand that he was conceived because his mother was… because his mother was raped."

Rachel shrugged again and nodded. "That's why you're hiding it. Because he isn't ready to be told."

Haley nodded. "You wouldn't be that cruel to an innocent child. You're after something else."

Rachel laughed. "What do you think I'm after?"

Haley smiled. She felt like she had Rachel. They were understanding each other now. "Brooke."

"Brooke?"

"You screwed up your friendship with her when you stole thousands of dollars from us. She was always your closest friend, Rachel. When you got back from Europe, you didn't go home to your parents, you went to Brooke. There isn't a single personal picture in this living room except for one. It's of you and Brooke. Let me tell you something, threatening me with this information isn't the way to get back into her good graces.

"Rachel, the two people who were with me throughout everything that happened were Brooke and Peyton. They held my hand through every step. They're Sam's godmothers. Threatening to hurt Sam is just going to make you enemy number one on Brooke's hit list."

"So, you're going to tell her about this."

Haley shook her head. "No."

"You're not?" Rachel didn't hide the surprise on her face this time.

"Just like you're not going to blog about Sam. You're also going to hand over everything you have on this."

Rachel stood up and left the room. Haley looked back at Nathan. He gave her a small smile and mouthed, "I love you." When Rachel returned, she was holding a large envelope.

"You're protecting your son. Of course you are; you're Haley James." Rachel handed the envelope to Haley. "That's everything."

Haley opened the envelope. Inside were more copies of the pictures, as well as a flash drive and memory card. She looked at Rachel again and smiled. It was a genuine, friendly smile. "Brooke has a fashion show in two weeks. You're on the guest list. Not as a member of the press."

"Why are you doing this, Haley?"

"Because I meant what I said, Rachel. I honestly don't think you're a bad person. I'm going to be honest with you, though. If you had just come to talk to me about wanting to make amends with Brooke, I would have been open to helping you out. Messing with my son isn't a good way to get to me."

Rachel nodded. "I was never going to out you. You were right."

Haley nodded and stood up, preparing to leave. She took Nathan's hand as they made their way to Rachel's door.

"I have a question for you, Haley," Rachel stopped them before they could open the door.

Haley and Nathan both turned around.

"What would you have done if I did make this public?"

"I would have done my best to explain this to Sam. I'd let him know just how much his mother loves him and that's what matters most."

"I'm sorry, Haley."

"Thank you, Rachel."

"I'm sorry this happened to you. It shouldn't happen to anyone. But you're like one of the best people I've met. Probably the best. So, I'm sorry it happened. Thanks for the invite."

Haley nodded and she and Nathan walked out of Rachel's apartment, hand in hand.

* * *

The couple was silent as they drove back to the office. Occasionally, Haley would reach over and grab Nathan's hand. They got back to the office and Haley set the envelope Rachel had given her on her desk. Nathan followed behind her and put his arms around her. She put her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest.

"What are you going to do with those?" Nathan meant the envelope.

"I'm going to put them in my safe at home. I think that's the best place for them."

He kissed the top of her head. "My girl was kind of sexy today." Nathan wasn't sure if he should use that word, but it was the truth.

"Sexy? How was that sexy?" She laughed, but kept her head where it was. She closed her eyes, letting the relief wash over her. She wasn't sure if it would work, but it had. Her instincts had been right and she was never more grateful.

"Watching you take charge like that and stand up for Sam. It was sexy, Hales."

"Well, it's nice you think I'm sexy. Really nice." She was blushing and hoped he didn't notice.

"I love when you blush. I think that's sexy too."

Haley looked up at him. "How could you tell I was blushing?"

"It reaches the back of your neck," he told her.

"Great. I've always hated that I blush so easily."

"Don't hate it. You're beautiful." They moved to the sofa and Nathan held Haley. He breathed in the scent of her. Her tiny frame fit perfectly with him. "I'm glad this is over for you. I'm glad you don't have to worry."

Haley didn't move. She stayed safely in Nathan's arms. "Thank you for being there."

"Nah. I didn't do anything."

"You did a lot, Nathan. Your support meant everything. Your presence there meant so much to me. I love you."

"Well, in that case, you're welcome. I love you too."

Nathan and Haley were still in that position when Brooke walked in and sat down in a nearby chair.

"You two look awfully cozy," Brooke noticed.

"We're having a good day," Haley told her.

"A really good day," Nathan added.

"I'm happy for you two lovebirds. I missed you this weekend."

"I'm sure you and Julian made do without us," Haley answered.

Brooke smiled, "Well, if you must know-"

"We don't," Nathan interrupted. He was rewarded with a playful swat to the arm from Haley.

"By the way," Brooke began, "Peyton called yesterday and said that tomorrow she's bringing in Chris Keller."

"Why didn't she call and tell me," Haley wondered.

"Probably because she knew you'd make a big issue out of it."

"Well, I am. I don't like him. He's a conceited pain in the ass."

"Wow," Nathan marveled. "Tell us how you really feel, Hales."

"I'm serious, Nathan. He talks about himself in third-person."

"Like…"

"Like, 'Chris Keller thinks this audience sucks,'" Brooke supplied. "Anyway, he's probably bringing Jason with him. You know those two like to work together."

"Peyton and I need to talk about this. It's my label, too. We don't need them and they make working with them a real pain. I just don't think it's worth it."

Brooke laughed. "Chris just annoys you. That duet you guys did a few years ago was great."

Haley glared.

"Oh, I remember that song. I downloaded it when I met you. It's pretty good."

"You're not helping," Haley scolded him.

"I'm sorry. If you're not comfortable working with him, just tell Peyton and don't do it."

Haley moped. "He is actually a pretty good musician. And he has this way of pushing my buttons that gets some good work out of me."

"Do you really need that?" Nathan thought Haley did just fine on her own.

"Sometimes. The process for this latest album could be going better. I've been writing a lot. I've just been focused on other stuff."

"Other stuff?"

"You two just keep talking like I'm not in the room," Brooke teased. "And what she means is that she's been so busy being in love with you, Boy Toy, that she hasn't been recording."

"Haley, I don't want to take you away from your work," Nathan apologized.

"You're not." Haley glared at Brooke again. "Nathan, I still work a lot. I'm producing two other records right now, I'm writing that song for Julian, and I really am writing my own stuff. It's the creative process, Nathan, sometimes it goes smoother than others."

"Okay. You'd let me know if I'm distracting you, right?"

"I would. But you're a really good distraction." She kissed him, letting her tongue glide over his lip.

Brooke cleared her throat, reminding them of her presence. "Anyway, I was wondering if you guys had eaten. I was thinking of grabbing a late lunch."

"Oh, sorry, Brooke. Nathan brought some food by earlier. We ate."

"Don't worry about it.

"By the way, I ran into Rachel," Haley fibbed. "I invited her to your show."

Brooke sat there speechless. Finally, she spoke. "Why?"

"I think she misses you. And I think it's time we let bygones be bygones. She seems to be doing well and that's a good thing."

Brooke scowled. "Do I have to be nice to her?"

"Yes, Brooke. Be polite."

"Fine. Do you always have to be in 'mom mode'?"

"Can't really turn that off, it just is."

"All right, all right. You take care of people, I get it, even if I don't think they really deserve it."

"Just give her a shot, Brooke."

"Funny, because I think we could say the same thing about the Keller."

"The Keller?" Nathan scrunched his face.

"Oh, just another one of Chris's nicknames for himself," Brooke huffed.

"What's your deal with this Keller guy, Brooke? You seem annoyed by him too."

"Nothing," Brooke answered a little too quickly.

"If that's your story," Nathan replied, amused.

Haley also had an amused look on her face as she watched the expression on Brooke's face.

"Fine!" Brooke relented, "I may have slept with him at one point. It was all his fault!"

"You know what," Nathan said, "I don't need to know."

"We also don't need to mention this around Julian," Brooke pointedly ordered.

"Brooke, does he not know?"

"Of course he knows, I just don't like to bring it up. Would you?"

Haley shook her head. "Guess not."

Nathan looked at the clock on the wall. "I'd better get going."

"And where are you off to, Boy Toy?"

"Brooke," Nathan warned.

"He's picking up Sam from school so I can get some more work done."

"And P. Sawyer thinks you need help," Brooke scoffed.

"Tell me about it. So, they're going to have some guy time for a few hours before I get home. That reminds me," Haley reluctantly pulled herself away from Nathan and walked over to her purse, pulling a key from inside of it. "There's the spare key to the house. Just let yourselves in."

"Anything else you need me to do?"

"I'll call if I think of anything," she told him.

"I'll take good care of him."

"I know you will," Haley stood on her tiptoes and kissed him before he left. "I love you."

"I love you too." Nathan waved to Brooke as he left the office.

Brooke watched as Haley watched Nathan walk away. She didn't think she'd ever get tired of seeing Haley look so happy.

"So, how did he do with Mama and Papa James?"

"He did great. They loved him. Vivian and Seth too."

"Hey, that's great Vivian could be there. Now he's just got two more James siblings to meet."

"Three," Haley corrected her.

"Yeah, I was thinking we could keep him away from Taylor. We don't want to scare him."

"Brooke, he hasn't been scared off yet."

"Yeah, because he's a great guy."

"Speaking of, we slept together in Chicago," Haley admitted. She noticed the astonished look on Brooke's face. "Like, actually sleeping. Not that other thing."

"Okay. Whoa. You caught me off guard there for a minute, Tutor Girl. What happened?"

"We slept. He was great. He asked if it was okay if he slept in his boxers, since he usually does. It was nice sleeping next to him and waking up next to him. That first morning, I was so tired, he let me sleep in. When I woke up, he'd already taken care of Sam's bath and had gotten him ready for the day."

Brooke smiled and hugged Haley. "I am totally Naley's number one fan. I don't care what anyone says, I have dibs."

"I'll let the media know."

"Good. We don't want any confusion about that. So, Chris Keller, huh?"

"Yeah. Chris Keller," Haley sighed.

* * *

**Note:** Thanks for reading! I love the reviews!


	25. Chapter TwentyFour

**Disclaimer: **One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** It gets a little hot and heavy in this chapter. ;) Also, I was asked if the story is nearing the end. I'd guess it's got at least ten more chapters left. I know where it's going. I know what's coming. I just don't know how long it'll take to get there. We're also nearly at 300 reviews, so thanks everyone!

* * *

Nathan walked into the department store at the Beverly Center. Sam was seated on his shoulders. Nathan's hands were on the boy's ankles. Sam's hands were resting on top of Nathan's head. Resting on the bridge of Sam's small nose were Nathan's aviator sunglasses. A few people looked at them as they made their way through the store, heading toward the escalator. Nathan knew they had been recognized. He was used to it. He was also good at acting like he didn't notice.

Nathan had picked Sam up after school. He was in a great mood after going with Haley to confront Rachel earlier in the day. He looked at Sam and couldn't help the feeling that came over him, knowing that at least for now, the boy was going to be spared the truth about his conception.

"What are we looking for, Nathan?"

"We," Nathan turned a corner that led to the men's department, "are looking for pajamas."

"Cool! I have Batman ones."

"I did too when I was your age."

"Batman's the best!"

Nathan briefly let go of Sam's ankle and raised his fist so the boy could reach. Sam bumped his fist to Nathan's.

"Are we getting Batman ones today?"

"I don't think they make them in my size, buddy."

"That's too bad."

Nathan and Sam made their way through the men's department until they found pajamas. Nathan put Sam down, but held onto his hand. He began browsing the racks of pajama bottoms. It had been a long time since he'd bothered doing this. It was so much easier to just sleep in his boxers.

"What about the top?"

"I don't need the top."

"What are you going to wear on top?"

Nathan hadn't planned on wearing anything on top. The bottoms were enough. Maybe he should start wearing something on top, though. "I have t-shirts."

"Oh. How about these?" Sam was pointing to a pair of purple, gold, and black plaid pajama bottoms. The Lakers logo was embroidered on the side.

Nathan laughed and shook his head. "I'm thinking something else. I'm thinking these." Nathan picked out three pairs, one solid color and two plaid.

"I like the team ones," Sam said, his voice showing his disappointment.

"I've got a lot of stuff with the team logo on it, though." Nathan didn't want to disappoint Sam. He never wanted him to be disappointed about anything, even if it was just pajamas. "I've got an idea."

"What is it?"

"You'll see." Nathan led Sam to another part of the store. It took them a few minutes to find it. Nathan had never shopped in this section before. Nathan hoped they had what he was looking for.

"This is where mommy buys me clothes," Sam pointed out.

"Sure is. Now, let's try and find you something." Nathan knelt, looking at the lower rack where he saw pajamas featuring professional sports teams. Sure enough, there were a pair of Laker pajamas for Sam. Nathan figured there had to be. They were in Los Angeles, after all. This town loved that team. They located a pair in Sam's size and headed to the cashier. Nathan realized that she must not have recognized him because she didn't look twice when Nathan paid for a pair of Laker pajamas.

* * *

Nathan and Sam were in front of the TV, each with a Wii remote in their hands, when Haley walked into the house. It hadn't been long since their little shopping trip and the two were currently in the middle of a game of bowling. They stopped when they heard her walk in. Nathan set his remote down and went to help her. She was carrying several bags of groceries. He leaned in to kiss her as he took a few of them from her.

"How was school, Sam?"

"It was okay, mommy." Sam climbed up on one of the stools in the kitchen as Haley and Nathan put groceries away. "I had more fun with Nathan after school."

"I'm glad you did," Haley told him. She set the groceries she had in her hand down and went over to her son. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him, then kissed the top of his head. She'd had a lot to worry about on Sam's behalf earlier that day. She couldn't begin to describe the relief she was feeling. "I love you, Sam."

"Love you too, mommy."

Sam watched as Nathan and Haley finished. Haley was getting pots and pans out now, wanting to get started on dinner.

"Mommy?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"Can Nathan sleep over tonight?"

On the list of things that her son could have asked her, Haley wasn't expecting that. Sure, he had been there when Nathan spent the night in Chicago. Haley had liked sleeping next to Nathan those two nights. She had loved it. At first had been a little awkward, but once that had gone, it was comfortable. It felt right.

"Oh, Sam, that's fine," Nathan answered, not wanting Haley to feel uncomfortable.

"But you have pajamas," Sam said.

"Pajamas?" Haley was a little confused. Nathan slept in his underwear.

"We bought pajamas today, mommy! I got a pair too!"

Haley looked at Nathan for clarification. He looked a little sheepish. She cocked her head to one side. It was a look he'd seen her give Sam before. "We went to the Beverly Center and we bought pajamas."

"You got Sam pajamas?" Haley was still looking for more of an explanation.

"And me," Nathan added.

"You don't sleep in pajamas," she said.

"I was thinking maybe I should. It might be more… comfortable."

Haley caught the double meaning in his words and she was touched. She nodded. "You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to."

Haley nodded again and looked at Sam. He had an expectant look on his face. "Yeah, if Nathan wants to, he can spend the night. If he isn't busy."

"I'm not busy. I'm all yours."

Haley smiled at him widely. She caught the double meaning in those words as well.

"You can stay in my room, Nathan," Sam volunteered.

Haley laughed. "And where is he going to sleep?"

"In my bed?"

"Where are you going to sleep?"

"In my sleeping bag?"

"You sleep in a bed, mister."

"Where will Nathan sleep?"

"You really didn't think about this before you invited him, did you? Nathan can stay in mommy's room."

"Where will you sleep, mommy?"

"In my room."

"Boys and girls can have sleepovers together?"

"Only after they're twenty-one years-old."

"Oh. Okay. Can he read my story to me?"

"If he wants to."

"Yeah, I can read your story tonight."

"Why don't you both go wash up for dinner," Haley suggested.

* * *

"That's it. The story's over," Nathan told Sam. Haley was sitting on a little chair at the edge of Sam's bed. Nathan was half sitting on the bed as he read to Sam. Sam was now yawning.

"Do I have to go to sleep?"

"Afraid so, sweetie," Haley said. She stood up from her chair and leaned in, giving Sam a kiss on his head. "Sweet dreams. I love you."

"Love you too mommy. Goodnight, Nathan. I love you."

Nathan looked at Sam and then at Haley. Sam hadn't ever said that to him before. Nathan didn't know how to respond to it. He didn't get a chance to. Before he could, Sam had curled onto his side and was fast asleep. Nathan stood up. Haley brought Sam's blankets up around him, covering him more. She turned the light out and left his door open as she and Nathan left the room. She took his hand, leading him toward her bedroom.

"He's never said that before," Nathan whispered as they made their way into Haley's room.

"I know. I knew he felt it."

"You did?" Nathan's tone was one of awe. "I didn't get the chance to say it back. He fell asleep. I was just surprised."

"Do you?" Haley knew how much Nathan liked Sam. She could easily see it. He was so natural and great with him.

"Of course I do. I can't imagine my life without him. Without either of you."

Haley was standing in front of Nathan. She took his large hands in her smaller ones. "I want to say something to you and I don't want it to freak you out."

Nathan looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"You're a part of this family, Nathan. You are. Sam and I, we both love you."

Nathan was speechless. For the second time tonight, he didn't know how to react. Both times he was happy. Both times he felt incredibly blessed. "I," he stammered. "Hales…" He couldn't figure out which words to use. "I love you. I love this family."

Haley stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. When she pulled her face from his she brought the palm of her hand to his check and ran her thumb along his lips.

"You know," he began, "it's not late. It's only seven. We could go downstairs and watch TV or something for a bit."

Haley chewed on her lip and looked around her bedroom. "You've never been up here," she stated.

Nathan looked around. He hadn't been in there. The only room he'd been in upstairs in her house was Sam's room. The master bedroom was basically what he expected it to be. It looked like Haley. Her entire house looked like Haley. Her office even looked like Haley. But her bedroom, that looked more like Haley than anywhere else he'd been.

She had light blue curtains over a pair of French doors that led to a small balcony. He'd seen the balcony from the backyard. The carpet was nearly the same shade as the curtains and they went together nicely with the white walls. The window had white shutters. In one corner was a blue chair. Next to it was a door that Nathan could see was to the master bathroom. Against the wall opposite the bathroom was Haley's bed. The comforter and pillows matched the blue of the rest of the room. The white painted wood of the headboard and footboard matched the shutters on the windows. The walls were decorated with pictures. There were pictures of Sam, Brooke, Peyton, Lydia and Jimmy, and all of Haley's brothers and sisters. He glanced at her dresser, which matched the bed and the nightstands on both sides of her bed. Sitting in front of the mirror were three more pictures. One was of Haley and Sam. It looked like it was recent. Another was of Peyton and Brooke with Sam. The third was the one that caught his eye. It was taken a month earlier. It was taken by Lucas. It featured Nathan, Haley, and Sam sitting together in her backyard. Nathan had no idea that Haley had it in here.

"We could stay up here and watch TV," Haley suggested.

His suggestion of going downstairs was an effort to make sure she was comfortable. He had noticed a television facing her bed when he was looking through the room.

"I guess we should get ready for bed," Nathan hesitantly said.

"Yeah, I guess we should. Get more comfortable."

"I left my pajamas downstairs," Nathan explained, attempting to leave the room.

"You know, Nathan, as touched as I am that you got yourself pajamas, you don't have to wear them."

Nathan raised an eyebrow.

In response, Haley rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean, Nathan. You sleep in your boxers. That's how you're comfortable. I don't want you changing things just for me."

"Hales," Nathan rubbed the palm of his hand over his eye, "it's not a big deal. And I didn't buy the pajamas because I was expecting anything. I didn't know Sam would ask me to stay over tonight and if you don't want me to, don't worry about hurting my feelings."

Haley wrapped her arms around his neck and looked into his eyes. "I know we're taking things slowly. If I hadn't… if I didn't come with this… baggage, we'd be further into this, right?"

Nathan knew she was probably right, but he didn't want to pressure her. "Maybe."

"We would. You know we would. But I love you for trying to make me feel better. Anyway, my point is, we're taking this slowly. This is so new for me. I know it isn't normal that we just sleep next to each other. But, those two nights in Chicago, I loved that. I loved being next to you and waking up next to you. So, as long as it doesn't get too uncomfortable for you, I would like it if you were here. But," Haley continued, "if you're ever here late and you don't want to drive, or if one of us is having a bad day and just wants the other there. You know, I'd really like that."

Nathan had put his hands on Haley's hips. He smiled and bent his neck to kiss her. "I'd like that too. But, Sam gets to sleep in his new pajamas and I want to sleep in mine." With a smirk, he stepped out of her embrace and left the room.

Haley shook her head while smiling. She went to her dresser and pulled out her own pajamas for the night. She went to the bathroom and began preparing for bed. She was in the middle of changing when she realized she'd left her lotion on her dresser the night before. Needing it, she headed back in there.

"Oh, sorry!" Nathan quickly apologized and turned around, covering his eyes with his hand as well. Haley looked at him. She hadn't heard him come back, but sure enough, there he was. He was in his new pajama pants and nothing else. "I'm so sorry, Hales, I didn't know."

"Know what?" She looked at his back. She was confused about what he was apologizing for, but she couldn't stop herself from admiring him. He had a great back. It was muscular and strong and she wanted so badly to run her fingers along the smooth skin.

"That you were in the middle of changing," he explained.

Haley looked down at herself and blushed. She'd put her pajama pants on, but hadn't yet put the t-shirt on. There she was in her lavender and white striped pants and a simple lace bra. She could see how nervous Nathan was. She could see the tension in his shoulders and she wanted to sooth that.

"I should have knocked before I came back in. I'm really sorry, Hales."

Haley chewed on her lip. She and Nathan had just talked about how they were taking things slowly. She couldn't have asked for more when it came to Nathan. He was considerate, patient, and kind. If Haley hadn't been raped, she knew for certain that they would have gone much further than just making out. It was great when they made out. She loved kissing Nathan; she loved the way he made her feel.

She didn't say anything, but she tentatively took a few steps toward him. The sound of her bare feet was muffled against the carpet. She felt her resolve strengthen as she reached him. She was now directly behind him. She moved her hand to touch his back, but stopped. There was no reason to be afraid, she told herself. There was no reason to be nervous. This was just like if he had seen her in a bathing suit. She was wearing more than she would be if she was in a bathing suit. With that in mind, she softly touched his shoulder.

"Turn around," she told him.

Nathan did as instructed, but left his hand covering his eyes.

Seeing how nervous Nathan was seemed to calm Haley down. She could still feel her heart thumping wildly in her chest and there was a fluttering of nerves in her stomach. She was prepared to do this, but she imagined every woman must feel a bit nervous the first time she let her boyfriend see her in her bra. She covered his larger hand with her small one and brought it down from his eyes. He had them shut.

"It's okay, Nathan. You can open your eyes."

He slowly opened his eyes, but they didn't travel down as she thought they would. Instead they stayed on hers. She saw guilt in his blue eyes. She didn't want him to feel guilty.

"It's okay," she repeated.

"I should have knocked and let you know I was in here."

"Nathan. I'm used to walking around my room like this. I didn't even think about it. But it's fine. You… you don't have to close your eyes."

Nathan didn't respond. This time he did what any man would do. He let his gaze fall downward. He let himself stare at her full breasts, cupped by her white lace bra. He looked at her flat, toned stomach. He let himself bring his hand to her shoulder, feeling the soft skin and the strap of her bra. His touch was light, gentle. He ran his fingers along her smooth skin, making her shiver.

"Wow," he finally spoke. "You're beautiful, Hales."

Haley blushed deeply. Nathan was pleasantly surprised to find that her blush even reached her shoulders and chest. She still had her hand over his hand, the one he'd been covering his eyes with. She set her other hand on his shoulder and leaned in to kiss him. Her bra clad breasts made contact with his bare chest, eliciting a moan from her as she ran her tongue along his lips, asking him for entrance.

Nathan obliged and opened his mouth as he kissed her. Haley's hand wound around his neck and she played with the hair at the nape of his neck. She pulled him backward and brought him with her as she lowered herself onto the bed. She didn't break their kisses or let go of him as she settled herself onto her mattress. Nathan held himself up with both arms as he hovered over Haley. He moved to lay on his side so that he wasn't on top of Haley, not wanting the weight of his body to crush her.

Haley got caught up in their kissing and wrapped her leg around Nathan's, bringing him closer. Nathan had one hand at the back of Haley's head, tangled in her dark hair. The other was at her waist. His thumb traced small circles on the exposed skin. He let his hand move up, resting it just beneath the fabric of her bra. Haley moved so that Nathan was now slightly on top of her. As she maneuvered more, she could feel his arousal pressing into her thigh. Haley pulled her lips from his and looked into his eyes. They were a much darker shade of blue than they normally were. She ran her fingers along his smooth chest and kissed him again.

"I love you," Nathan breathed between kisses.

Haley could feel the heat building inside of her. She wasn't sure what it was, but something was keeping her from stopping. She knew she would soon; she knew she wasn't ready to go further. But tonight she was just craving Nathan. Maybe it was the day she'd had. After the past weekend and how he'd been there for her, thanking him and telling him she loved him just didn't seem like enough.

Nathan, for his part, was letting Haley take the lead. She seemed to want to keep going, but if they didn't stop soon he knew he either wouldn't be able to or something embarrassing was going to happen. He never realized just how stimulating making out could be. There wasn't even much touching, but Nathan was enjoying what he was getting. Haley's skin was smooth and beautiful. He thought she had the most perfect breasts he'd ever seen. Not too small, not too big. He was sure they'd fit perfectly in his hands, but he didn't want to push her any further. This was already a big step for them. He could tell from the reaction she had to his reaction that she didn't realize just how beautiful and sexy she was.

Haley moved again and could feel the hardness in his pants even more. Abruptly, Nathan jerked his hips away from her. He hoisted himself above her and moved off of her. They both sat up, leaning against the headboard. Haley knew they were finished. They both knew they were finished. Haley kept her distance, making sure not to touch him until he calmed down. She looked down and saw the tenting in his pants and got off the bed. She went to the bathroom and when she returned, she was wearing a t-shirt, but still blushing. She went to sit down next to Nathan again and breathed out. She was flushed and a little out of breath from their make out session.

"Last game you scored thirty-three points. You had four assists and three turnovers."

"You're dictating my stats to me?" Nathan looked amused.

"You said it helps."

"Actually, when you do it, it's kinda sexy."

"No helping?"

"Sorry. And I'm sorry-"

Haley cut him off, "Don't apologize for that, Nathan. It's not like you can help it any more than I can."

"You can?" Nathan was repeating stats in his head and it was working. Slowly. But it was working.

Haley's blush had begun to dissipate, but at Nathan's question it came back. She chewed on her lip. "You might not be able to see it, but I'm just as turned on as you are, Nathan," she admitted.

Nathan's smile turned into a smirk.

"Telling you that isn't really helping, is it?"

"Not really," Nathan admitted. "But it's nice to hear. You've got some serious skills, Haley James."

"Stop it, you're embarrassing me." Haley covered her face with her hands and rested her head on Nathan's bare shoulder. She waited for a few minutes before speaking again. She wanted to give Nathan more of a chance to calm down. She looked down and didn't see any evidence of his previous arousal, so she spoke again. "Who knew buying pajamas could be such a turn on," she teased.

"That's not what did it for me," he teased back.

Haley sighed and linked her arm with Nathan's, settling into him. "I'm getting there, Nathan. I want to get there. I just need you to keep doing what you're doing and be patient with me. I can't thank you enough for how patient you are with me. And you don't need to keep apologizing every time you get turned on. Like I said, you can't help it and I can't help it."

"Yeah, I guess it's not my fault you can't resist me."

Haley playfully swatted his arm. "I guess that's true."

Haley still had her head on his shoulder and Nathan put his head on her head. "You know, Hales, making out with you is better than sex has ever been."

"Now I know you're lying."

"I'm not." Nathan lifted her chin so she was looking at him. "I'm not, Hales. I get a lot more out of this than I ever have from sex. And when you're ready, it'll be even more because it won't be just sex. It'll never be just sex with you."

Haley smiled. "Now you're just making me want to make out with you all over again."

Nathan laughed and leaned in. He captured Haley's lips in his and kissed her slowly.

"I can't believe how much I love you," Haley said.

"Neither can I."

"I love you, Nathan. Believe it."

"I love you too."

* * *

**Note:** I know some of you have been hoping for more. It's going to be a while longer. More stuff is going to happen before they get there. Anyway, thank you for reading and reviewing! It's nice to hear from so many of you and to know you love the story. :)


	26. Chapter TwentyFive

**Disclaimer: **One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Well, we're getting to some big things. Stuff is being set in motion. I hope you'll enjoy. I still can't believe you guys have reviewed over 300 times! This feels more like a filler chapter, but it does set some things in motion.

* * *

Nathan heard the TV on downstairs when he woke up. He looked over at Haley, still sleeping soundly next to him. He guessed that this was probably the best night of sleep she'd had since before this weekend. Her features looked so peaceful as she slept. She had her arm draped across his stomach and a slight smile graced her face. A few strands of hair were spread across her cheek. Nathan gently moved them behind her ear. He kissed her cheek. When she didn't wake up, Nathan tried to get out of bed without disturbing her. He knew from the sound of the TV on that Sam must be awake. Once he was out of bed, he pulled the blankets up over Haley before leaving the room.

Nathan quietly padded down the hallway. He decided to check Sam's room before going downstairs. Sure enough, the boy wasn't there. As Nathan descended the staircase, he could smell coffee coming from the kitchen. That was weird. He was sure Sam didn't make coffee. He walked into the living room and was surprised to find Sam on the sofa, sitting between Brooke and Peyton.

"What are you two doing here?"

Peyton and Brooke turned at the sound of his voice. Brooke had known that Nathan and Haley had slept together in the sense of actually sleeping while they were in Chicago, but that didn't stop her from being surprised when she saw him. Both women took in his appearance. His hair was disheveled and there was a slight indentation in his face where the pillowcase had creased. His pajamas were laying low on his hips.

"I could ask you the same thing," Peyton answered.

"He slept over. He and mommy had a sleepover. You can do that once you're twenty-one," Sam answered her.

"Nice pajamas, Boy Toy," Brooke told him. She remembered what Haley had told her about Nathan sleeping in his boxers. She was curious about how the pajamas happened. "Sleep well?"

"I did. What about you, Sam? Sleep okay?"

"Yep. Where's mommy?"

"Right here," Haley answered, coming into the room. She had a robe on over her pajamas and slippers on her feet. Haley walked behind the sofa and bent over the back of it to kiss the top of Sam's head. "Morning, baby. What are you two doing here?"

"That's what I asked," Nathan said as he approached her and gave her a quick kiss.

"You were gone when I woke up," she told him.

"I heard the TV. I wanted to check on Sam."

Haley smiled and kissed him.

"We made coffee," Brooke announced. Peyton glared at her. "Peyton made coffee," Brooke corrected herself.

"We thought we'd come have breakfast with you," Peyton said.

"That means they want me to cook," Haley explained to Nathan.

"Want me to get Sam ready while you do that?"

"Um, yeah, that would actually be great. Thank you."

"All right, Sam. Let's get you upstairs and get you ready for school."

Sam jumped off of the sofa and ran up to Nathan. He took Nathan's hand and started walking to the stairs, Nathan following behind him. As soon as they were upstairs, Peyton turned her attention to Haley.

"Okay, explain that."

"They've been sleeping together," Brooke explained. "But sleeping sleeping. Not sex, because Tutor Mom isn't ready for that. But I have to ask about the pajamas, because you said he sleeps in his boxers but this morning he comes downstairs like that. Still shirtless, but now in pajamas."

"How did I not know this?"

"Because you were out of town," Haley replied. "How did that go, anyway?"

"It went good. He's getting comfortable with it. He'll be fine. And you're avoiding this conversation."

Haley shrugged. "He slept over." She walked into her kitchen and pulled a mug from the cupboard, then poured herself a cup of coffee. She took a sip and leaned against the counter.

"How did this happen?" Peyton stood just opposite Haley.

"We were in Chicago this weekend and we just slept next to each other. It was nice. Yesterday, he and Sam went and bought pajamas. Sam asked him if he wanted to sleep over. It's not going any further than that. It's nice."

"Good. I'm happy for you, Foxy."

"So," Haley changed the subject, "what's this I hear about you ambushing me with Chris Keller?"

"So, you heard about that."

"You should have been the one to tell me, Peyton. You should have discussed it with me, actually. It's our company. Both of us."

"I know. But you need to record, Haley."

"Actually, I don't."

"And why do you think that?"

"Because it hasn't been that long since the last record, Peyton. It's not like I've disappeared. I'm in the news more now than I ever have been. I've written songs for Julian, so I haven't not been writing and recording. I've been producing. It's not like I haven't been busy. I have been writing. So, by the time I'm ready to get into the studio, there's going to be a lot to record."

"I just want you to stay out there," Peyton told her.

"Peyton, how much more out there do you think she needs to get? She's on the cover of the tabloids almost every week. You really think by the time her next album comes out that she's going to be forgotten?"

"Haley, he just called up and I thought it would be good for you to get him and Jason in the studio with you. They both push you. Especially Chris."

"They make me want to push them off of a cliff, Peyton. I don't need the push right now."

"Okay. I'll call and let him know it's off."

"Thank you. If I slack off later, you can call him. But Peyton, when have I ever slacked off?"

"I know. I'm sorry." Peyton took a seat at the table in the kitchen. Brooke joined her. "How did it go with your parents?"

"It was great. Nathan was a hit with everyone."

Haley was rummaging through the refrigerator, getting out ingredients for breakfast.

"What are we having?" Brooke looked at the blueberries and milk in Haley's hands.

"Pancakes," Haley answered, reaching for a bowl.

"Are those blueberries going in the pancakes?" Brooke eyed the fruit hungrily.

"Yes," Haley laughed.

"He bought pajamas for you," Brooke said in a sing-song voice.

"Yeah, what's this about sleeping in boxers?"

Haley blushed remembering what happened the night before. Things had gone further with Nathan than they had before. Haley could feel herself getting closer and closer to letting things go all the way. She chewed on her lip as she began mixing ingredients together in a bowl, trying to get the pancake batter at just the right consistency.

"And you're blushing," Peyton observed. "What happened last night?"

"We slept," Haley stated simply. "Made out a little bit."

Peyton whistled enthusiastically while Brooke smiled knowingly.

"You two have been making out a lot," Brooke pointed out.

"He's good at it," Haley admitted, turning her attention back to the pancakes.

"Sam! You're looking so handsome today," Brooke gushed. Sam and Nathan came back into the kitchen, both dressed for the day.

Haley was flipping pancakes on the griddle. Nathan walked up behind her. He laid his hand on her waist and kissed her cheek. "He's all ready for school."

"Thanks." She turned around and brought her lips to his. "Go ahead and sit down. It's almost ready."

"Need any help?"

Haley shook her head. "I've got it."

Nathan sat at the table with Brooke, Peyton, and Sam.

"Haley, I think Sam should hang out with me and Lucas tomorrow night," Peyton told her.

Haley was putting pancakes on a plate and set them in the middle of the table. Everyone sat down and began eating the blueberry pancakes. Haley got one for Sam and began cutting it up for him. A jug of orange juice was on the table with glasses.

Nathan took a glass and looked at the sippy cup that Haley had for Sam. "I don't get a sippy cup this time?"

"I think you can handle a big boy glass now," Haley winked at him.

"This flirting you two have going on is adorable," Brooke squealed.

"You two should go out after Nathan's game tomorrow," Peyton continued. "Sam can hang out with me and Lucas. How about it, Sam? You up for it?"

Sam nodded enthusiastically, his mouth full of pancakes.

"And don't say you don't want to be any trouble," Peyton ordered Haley.

Haley could tell from Peyton's expression that she meant it. She looked at Nathan. "You want to?"

"Absolutely," Nathan smiled. Haley would be singing the Star-Spangled Banner at the game. He thought going on a date afterward was a great idea. "Thanks, Peyton."

"Anytime."

"This breakfast is really good, mommy." Everyone else at the table agreed as they all devoured the pancakes Haley had made.

* * *

Haley waited for Nathan inside the Staples Center. The game had ended, but the Lakers had lost. Haley was disappointed for Nathan and the team, but she could tell that both he and they had given it everything they could. They were still a lock for the playoffs.

Haley was wearing a Navy blue shirt dress with a narrow white belt at the waist. She had on a pair of low heels to match and her hair was slightly curled. Nathan would be out soon. He was just showering and doing a few interviews.

She wasn't waiting long when he finally emerged. He looked good in his jeans and black button down, but Haley couldn't help but notice that he looked a little tired. She reached out to him and touched his arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Sorry about the game. I hope I wasn't bad luck."

"Nah. Just wasn't our night."

"You sure you want to do this?"

Nathan kissed her and grabbed hold on her hand. "A night with you is just what I need after this."

Haley and Nathan sat together in the back of the movie theater. The crowd was thin. Not a lot of people were seeing a movie on a Thursday night. Haley wasn't used to being out this late as it was, unless she was performing. She'd been looking forward to it since Peyton suggested it. It had been a while since she and Nathan made the time to go out, just the two of them.

"When's the last time you took a girl to a movie?"

Nathan thought. "College. And we didn't really watch the movie."

"Very naughty." Haley ran her fingers up and down Nathan's forearm. "How about tonight? Do you think you're going to watch the movie?"

"That depends," he answered.

"On what?"

"On if you're going to keep doing that. I told you you have skills, Haley James."

"Well, I'm going to watch the movie. I've been wanting to see this one," Haley informed him.

"Oh, that's cruel, Hales. You can't do that to a man."

Haley laughed and lifted the arm of the seat that was separating them. She scooted closer and snuggled into Nathan, who wrapped his arm around her.

* * *

The couple were laying on Haley's bed together, both in pajamas, underneath the covers. Nathan was watching Sports Center while Haley was reading. It all felt comfortable. It felt like it should be. Nathan had his arm around Haley, just as he did at the movies. With one hand, she held Nathan's hand and with the other she held onto her book. When she finished a chapter, she bookmarked it and set it on her night stand. She reached into the drawer and pulled something out.

"I have something for you."

"Yeah?" Nathan looked away from the TV. He didn't want to watch anyway. They were in the middle of talking about the game the Lakers had just lost.

Haley held a silver key in front of him. Nathan held his hand out and she dropped it into his palm.

"Is this what I think it is?"

Haley nodded. "It is. You're here a lot. When you pick up Sam from school, I give you the spare key. It's time you had your own."

Nathan held it in the palm of his hand and smiled. "I was actually thinking of giving you a key to my place. But, we don't really hang out there."

"We could. If you wanted to."

"I actually don't," Nathan confessed. "I like it here. This is your home and it's Sam's home. I'm happy you trust me with a key. Thanks, Hales." Nathan set the key on the nightstand next to his side of the bed. When they'd gotten to her house that night, Haley asked if he wanted to stay again. There was nothing awkward about it as they got ready for bed. Nathan changed into his pajamas, Haley changed into hers not minding if Nathan saw her in her bra. They'd been much closer the night before and Haley wasn't feeling self-conscious.

"I trust you with more than the key, Nathan. I trust you with Sam, which is the same as trusting you with my life."

"I know that."

Haley scooted lower on the bed so she was laying a bit more. She rested her head on Nathan's chest. This was now their fourth night of sleeping next to each other. Haley realized how much she liked having her head on Nathan's bare chest. The warmth of his skin was soothing. She was finding herself not even realizing when she ran her fingers along his well defined abs.

After last night's encounter, Nathan thought that Haley might be feeling a little more comfortable with skin on skin contact. He wanted to take things slowly, though. The arm that was wrapped around her tightened and Nathan slid his fingers just under the hem of her shirt. He lightly ran his fingers along her skin, sending chills throughout her body.

"Is that okay?" He knew from experience that if he wasn't sure about something with Haley, it was best to ask. She usually appreciated when he asked.

"Mm hmm," Haley responded. His touch was so soothing that it was lulling her to sleep.

"My mom called today," Nathan said.

"Oh? How is she?"

"She's good. She wanted to tell me that there's a parole hearing coming up. For my dad. They um, they might be letting him out."

Haley lifted herself from Nathan and looked at him. She couldn't quite read his expression, but she was sure she saw worry there. She traced his jaw line with her thumb. "How are you feeling about that?"

Nathan shrugged. He picked up the remote and turned the TV off. "I don't know. It's easier with him in prison. What kind of son says that sort of thing?"

"Don't feel guilty, Nathan. You haven't talked much about your dad, so I don't really know completely how you feel about him. But I do know you and I know that if you say he was that bad, then maybe he is. He did shoot his own brother, after all. I also know that some people are better off without their so-called fathers."

Nathan gripped Haley a little tighter. "I'm sorry, Hales, I didn't think."

"No, no. Nathan, I didn't mean anything by that." Haley sat up more and turned so she was facing him. "Do you think they'll let him out?"

"My mom thinks they will. She said that he's been really well behaved in there and since he did confess and plead guilty, that'll help his case. She's going to speak at the hearing. Her and Keith and Karen. She thinks she'll let him out though."

"I'm sorry. I know this is hard for you."

"It shouldn't be like this, you know? I remember on my seventh birthday, we were all set to have a party. Then he heard about this basketball competition and he canceled it. He canceled my birthday party. My team lost and he didn't talk to me for the rest of the day. It only got worse after that too. No matter how good I did, he was always reminding me that he could do it better.

"I took drugs once." Now that Nathan had begun talking about his past with Dan Scott, he couldn't seem to stop. Talking to Haley was easy. It always had been, but they'd never talked about Dan. It wasn't a subject that Nathan liked to bring up. With Dan locked up in prison, he didn't have to bring it up because he didn't have to think about it much.

"What?"

"In high school. It was at the beginning of junior year and we had this game. The whole week I was preparing for it, he kept reminding me of the scoring record he held over that team. Every single time he talked to me that week, he made sure to tell me that I wasn't gonna beat him. I just got so tired of it. I wanted to wipe that smug look off his face. So, I talked to my friend Tim. His brother knew where to get some stuff. To help me play."

"What happened?"

"I passed out in the middle of the game."

"Oh my God." Haley brought her hand to her mouth.

"My dad found out about it from the doctor. He covered it up so the scouts wouldn't find out. We never talked about it again. This is the first time I've talked about it since it happened."

Haley put her arms around Nathan's neck and rested her forehead against his. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

Nathan rubbed his hand along Haley's arm. "He always wished he picked Karen instead of my mom. Keith was more of a dad to Lucas. Dan was always jealous. Keith got Karen and Lucas. That's why he shot him. He tried to kill Keith because he was jealous. It's just so messed up and stupid, Hales."

Haley kept her arms around Nathan's neck, wanting to comfort him. "You're nothing like that, you know." She didn't know what to say to comfort him, but she did want him to feel better. "You don't have it in you to hurt someone like that. You treat Sam like he's your own flesh and blood. You love him, Nathan. You're great with him. A mother couldn't ask for a better influence on her son."

"Haley, I don't know. I don't ever want to treat anyone the way my dad treats people. If I ever make you or Sam feel as worthless as he made me and my mom feel, I don't know what I'd do."

"That isn't in you, Nathan. You're a good man." Haley looked him in the eyes. She saw sadness and conflict. "When I… when I told you about me being raped, I wondered how you'd look at Sam and me. Even after you told me you loved me and that you weren't going anywhere, I wondered. I'm sorry for that. But I wouldn't have blamed you if you looked at us a little differently. You didn't, though. You treated us just like you always have. You've got such a great heart, Nathan.

"No matter what happens at that parole hearing, you'll still be that good man. You'll still be you. The man I trust with my son's life. So, if you ever start doubting yourself, you come to me and I promise I will remind you what a good man you are. I wouldn't love you if you weren't. And I love you so much, Nathan. Whatever happens with Dan, you've got me at your side. Always."

"Forever," Nathan said.

"Always and forever," Haley smiled, kissing him.

"Always and forever. It's corny, but I like it."

"You've been with me through a lot this past week and you told me we're in this together. So, remember that, Nathan. We're in this together. All of it. The good, the bad, all of it."

"You're pretty amazing, you know that?"

"I've been told from time to time," Haley smiled.

"You sounded great tonight," he complimented her.

"Thanks. It's a tough song to sing."

"Really?" Nathan had never really given much thought to it. He'd heard it performed countless times whenever he played. "I was thinking, maybe once the season is over, if you don't have anything planned, maybe the three of us could go on vacation? You know, when Sam doesn't have school. If you're not working. Maybe Hawaii or something. Sam would like it at the beach. We could just relax, you know?"

"That actually sounds perfect," Haley said. She settled in against her pillows, cuddling next to Nathan. She draped her arm around his stomach and took the drawstring on his pajamas pants between her fingers, twirling it. "I think we'd all really like that."

"We could spring for a suite. That way there's room for all three of us."

"That does sound great." Haley closed her eyes. She hadn't expected to find so much comfort and contentment lying next to Nathan, but she did. She slept so well when he was next to her, when he was holding her. She had the drawstring between her fingers as she brought herself closer to Nathan, not opening her eyes. "I'm really sorry about your dad, Nathan. I wish… I wish things could be different for you. I wish you two could be close. I wish he'd been half as good to you as you are to Sam."

Nathan didn't know what to say. That happened a lot with Haley. Instead, he kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arm tighter around her shoulders. "I love you."

"I love you too." Haley yawned. She reached over to turn out the light on her nightstand. The light on Nathan's was still on, but he too reached over and turned it off. "You don't have to do that. You can stay up if you want."

Nathan didn't answer. He just lay next to Haley and held her, closing his eyes. He was tired and he just wanted to go to sleep next to his girlfriend. He'd never really had anyone he could talk to Dan about before. He and Lucas talked about him sometimes, but never in depth. Nathan never really went into too many details about how Dan had treated him as a kid. Nathan knew that Haley was someone he could open up to. She had opened up to him about the most private parts of her life. He would do the same. They would share equally.

He'd been thinking about Dan all day since his mother had called. He knew that Haley sometimes had trouble letting him in because she didn't want to burden him. He didn't want to burden her either, but he made her promise to talk to him. He would have to do the same with her. He also felt that it might feel better to be able to speak to someone. It had. He felt relieved after getting all of that off of his chest.

Haley had told him that she wished Dan had treated him as well as he treated Sam. Nathan didn't find it difficult to be good to Sam. He didn't have to even think about it. It just was. Nathan loved Sam and it was as simple as that. Sam made it all so easy. Nathan had been feeling that he needed to work to be worthy of Haley. She had a faith in him that no one ever had before. He wanted more than anything to be worthy of that faith. He was going to be the best he possibly could be for her and for Sam. Nathan wanted to do what he could to make sure he earned his place in their family.

* * *

**Note:** Thank you for reading! You all are so great!


	27. Chapter TwentySix

**Disclaimer**: One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Notes:** I'm really sorry about the long wait! Hopefully it's worth it. This chapter deals with some heavier issues in their relationship. Also, the rating will be increasing in a bit. Here's how I'll do it. Two chapters before it happens, I'll remind you. I'll remind you in the chapter after that. Then, the chapter after that is when the rating will have to increase. Just want to make sure everyone can find the story.

**Warning:** This chapter does contain some minor adult content. I don't think it's anything too strong, the prologue was probably more intense in a different way. But just in case you'd prefer to warning. I think it's pretty mild though.

* * *

Over the next six weeks, Nathan stayed with Haley and Sam whenever he was in town. Haley was beginning to think he should just move in. It would be a big step and she wasn't sure how to explain it to Sam. She knew Sam wouldn't have a problem with it. She was pretty sure her son felt that Nathan lived there already.

Haley had already cleared space in her closet and dresser for Nathan. It had happened a month earlier after he'd stayed five nights in a row. Slowly, Nathan's stuff started appearing in her house. It started in the bathroom with his toothbrush, shampoo, shaving crème, razor, and deodorant. They were things he had with him whenever he came back from a road trip. When the plane landed and Nathan got in his car to go home, he didn't go to his own house. He went straight to Haley's house. He never did it with the intention of spending the night. He had explained that to Haley. He just always ended up staying the night.

One day, while Nathan was at practice and Sam was at school, Haley was doing household chores. When she was doing the laundry, she noticed that she'd picked up several of Nathan's things from her bedroom. She liked to keep her house tidy and in an effort to do that, she'd made space for him in the closet and her dresser.

Whenever Nathan was home, he stayed with Haley and Sam. They ate meals together. He helped get Sam ready for school and bed. Nathan helped with dishes; he had even mowed the lawn for her. After nearly six months of dating, Nathan and Haley were now living together. It may not have been official and they may not have actually discussed it, but both had realized it. They were waiting for things to calm down so they could actually talk about it.

One of the things that Haley was concerned about was the issue of sex. They made out often. Haley, in particular, couldn't keep her hands off of Nathan. A lot of their making out occurred without either of them wearing a shirt. Haley had gotten much more comfortable being in that position with Nathan. In fact, she was finding that more and more, she preferred the skin to skin contact.

She knew she was getting close to being ready to make love to Nathan. She could feel it. Literally. She could feel it every time they were together. There were a few times when she considered throwing caution to the wind, to swallowing every fear she had, and just giving every part of her to Nathan. At this point in their relationship, it was the last thing she had to give.

She wasn't quite there yet, though. She wanted time. She didn't specifically want time to wait. She wanted time with Nathan. They were both so busy. She was working more than ever. She was taking care of Sam. Nathan was right in the middle of the playoffs. If he wasn't at a game, he was at practice or training. When he crawled into bed at night, he was exhausted. He was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

As a teenager, whenever Haley thought about what her first time would be like, she knew she wanted it to be special. That hadn't changed. She may not technically be a virgin anymore, but she had given this a lot of thought. Her first time with Nathan would be her first time. She didn't want him to be exhausted for it and she didn't want them to have to try and schedule it. Everything in their relationship was progressing naturally. She didn't want their first time making love to be any different.

Haley wasn't ready yet. She knew that. But she also knew that it was going to be sooner rather than later. She knew she had to be prepared, though. As soon as she had time, she was going to have to schedule an appointment with her doctor. Brooke didn't call her Tutor Girl for nothing – Haley was always prepared. The problem was finding time to go.

That was another issue. Haley was incredibly busy with work. It came as a surprise to both Peyton and Haley, but they had recently signed three new musicians. That meant that all three needed help with producing their new albums. Red Bedroom Records had a reputation for cultivating and nurturing new talent. That meant each of their new artists would be spending a lot of time with Haley and Peyton. They would be trying to figure out just what sound worked best for them. They would be playing their songs for Haley and Peyton, seeing which ones worked best and which ones needed some work. It was a long, arduous process. Haley loved it. She loved being able to help people with their talent and seeing it grow. She found it very rewarding.

It was just time consuming. Sam came first, which meant that Haley was working hard throughout the day before picking up Sam and spending the evening with him. By the time Nathan came home, he wasn't the only one who was exhausted. Musicians had a hard time understanding a producer who had to be home to get dinner on the table at a certain time. She was their producer, though, so she called the shots. She was grateful for that. She got to be home to take care of Sam. If she wasn't able to do that, she would have found a different career. That was the one thing that she insisted on when she and Peyton went into business together.

"You're a million miles away," Peyton observed. She watched as Haley stared into space. They were listening to the playback from a track they recorded earlier in the day. Mia Catalano was their best selling artist after Haley and she had surprised them by coming in with enough new songs to record another record. They recorded three of the songs yesterday and now Haley and Peyton were listening to them and trying to decide if anything needed to be changed.

"I'm here. I'm listening."

"A lot on your mind?"

Haley reluctantly nodded.

"Nathan?"

Haley nodded again.

"You two are basically living together now," Peyton marveled.

"Pretty much." Haley couldn't control the smile that spread across her features. "He comes home today. I miss him." Nathan had been gone for almost a week. The Lakers were doing really well now. By the time Haley got home, Nathan would be there. She couldn't wait to see him.

"It's been almost six months."

"I can't believe it. It feels like longer. But it also doesn't. If that makes any sense. It feels like, it feels like we got into this pattern so quickly. Like everything started working so quickly, that it's just always been like this. But yeah, six months."

"Maybe it also feels like it's been longer since you guys were friends for a couple of months before that. You guys had a good chance to get to know each other before you got all romantic."

Haley rewound the recording they were listening to, paying close attention to the bridge of the song. "I think she needs to slow down the tempo here. Just a little bit. Not much."

Peyton nodded her head. "We'll have her give it a try tomorrow. Haley, I'm going to suggest something and don't bite my head off."

Haley sat back in her chair and looked at Peyton. "Okay, what?"

"Chris and Jason. I think they'd work really well with the new band. Working with the new band, not with you. You're right; you don't need help right now. I just think if we did that, it would help out. I mean, I miss Lucas a lot. You've got to get home to Sam. We'd still have final approval over everything, but it might help with the workload."

Haley ran her hand through her hair and started turning one of the dials on the board in front of her. "Okay, yeah. Bring them in."

The two sat and made notes about Mia's songs. They were silent while working for several more minutes.

"It was always going to be romantic. Between Nathan and me. I didn't really want to admit it, but that's what was happening. I just had to stop being stubborn," Haley admitted.

"Well, I think if anyone had a good reason for that it was you." Peyton looked up at Haley and grinned. "You can't wait for this day to be over so you can get home to him, can you?"

Haley blushed. "I really can't. The three of us are ordering Chinese food and watching Shrek tonight."

* * *

Nathan walked up the path leading to the house. He unlocked the door and entered without announcing himself. He went down the hall and peeked into the study. He saw Lucas sitting behind his desk, his laptop on, tapping furiously at the keys.

"Getting much work done?"

Lucas was startled and jumped a little in his seat. "Don't sneak up on me, man. You're going to make me regret giving you a key."

Nathan held up his hands in mock surrender. "Sorry. Want to get some lunch?"

Lucas looked at the clock on the wall. He stretched and saved his work before shutting his laptop. "Yeah, let me get some shoes on."

Nathan and Lucas sat at a small table in the back of a sports bar. Since it was the middle of the day, the place wasn't crowded at all. A few patrons sat at the bar, but none of them turned to look when Lucas and Nathan walked in. Nathan preferred it that way. He didn't like being stared at, but it came with the territory. Lucas was well known for his novels, but he wasn't recognized often. He especially wasn't recognized when he was standing next to Nathan. People tended to gravitate toward his brother.

"So, why aren't you with Haley?" Lucas's eyes scanned the menu as he started a conversation with his brother.

"She's working. She's been really busy with work. I'll see her tonight, though." Nathan smiled. He missed Haley and couldn't wait to see her. He had never thought much about road trips before. Being able to travel from city to city to play basketball was a perk well worth having. Now there was something to miss when he was away. Now he couldn't wait to get home to Haley. He couldn't wait to just be next to her, to breathe in her scent, to hold her. Basketball had been the most important thing in his life and that was all changing.

What caught Nathan the most off guard was that this major change in his priorities didn't bother him. He looked forward more to seeing Haley than he did to getting out on the court. He loved basketball. Basketball was what he was good at. He'd worked so hard to achieve this goal and the feeling he got when he stepped onto a court, the feeling he got when dribbling the ball, the feeling he got when taking a shot, that was something that he still loved. He couldn't put it into words; the feeling was indescribable.

The feeling of being next to Haley was also indescribable. No one had depended on him like this before. He got from her a sense of fulfillment that was different from the one he got from the game that had been so good to him for his entire life. Dan Scott had done a lot to make sure that basketball was what occupied Nathan's life. Nathan may have felt suffocated by his father's efforts, but in a way he was grateful that his dad had introduced him to the game. Nathan loved it and without the strict training regiment that Dan had subjected him to, he wasn't sure that he would be as good as he was now. It got better once Dan was gone, though. He was able to play the game just for fun. Now, Nathan had the best of both worlds. He was disciplined, but he also had fun when he played.

He wished Haley could be there for every game he played. He knew it just wasn't possible and he didn't want to disrupt her life. He felt he played better when she was there and knowing that she was there just made him feel better. He could always hear her cheering him on. He would always try and steal a glance at her during a game. Usually he'd wink and smirk. She would smile back at him and laugh. She also mouthed, "I love you."

"What can I get for you two?" A waitress in a polo shirt and a short, black skirt walked up to their table. She smiled at Lucas and winked at Nathan. Nathan noticed and focused on the menu in front of him. He was just going to act like he didn't notice her.

"Club sandwich, extra bacon," Lucas ordered.

"I'll have the chili," Nathan said. He handed the waitress his menu and looked at his brother.

Lucas noticed Nathan looking at him, his hands resting against the top of the table and his fingers drumming on the surface. The waitress left, realizing that Nathan wasn't going to give her the time of day.

"You want to talk about Dan," Lucas guessed. It wasn't even really a guess. They both knew what was coming. "That parole hearing is in a few days."

Nathan nodded, looking down at his hands. He picked up his fork and tapped it on the table.

Lucas sighed. "You're worried. No matter what happens, Nate, he won't be an influence on you anymore. You're too strong for that."

Nathan nodded. "Think he'll get out?"

Lucas shrugged. "I hope not. Mom, Keith, and Deb are all going to speak against him." Lucas hesitated. "I think they'll let him out though."

Nathan grimaced. "Thought you might say that."

Their food arrived and they ate in silence. Occasionally, one would make a remark about something trivial. It had been a while since the last time they hung out like this, just the two of them.

"You're nothing like him, you know."

Nathan set his spoon in his bowl and looked at Lucas. "What?"

"I know you worry about being like Dan, but you're not. You're a good man, Nathan. You're a great guy for Haley. You're a great father to Sam."

Nathan was shocked. Father to Sam? "I'm not-"

"I know you're not his real father, but you're basically the kid's dad, Nathan. You do everything with him a dad is supposed to do. You're a positive influence on him. You discipline him when it's needed, you help when he needs it, you're there for him. And you love him. Okay, maybe father isn't quite the right word. But you're his father figure and you're basically the only one he's ever had."

Nathan stared at his brother, his mouth partially open in shock.

"Didn't scare you, did I little brother?"

"You really think he seems me as, like, a dad?"

"Of course."

"Do you think Haley does?"

Lucas nodded. "She'd never pressure you, but you have taken that place in their lives. That's what makes you not like Dan at all. He didn't want to be a father to you, he didn't want me. You chose Sam. He isn't even your own blood, but you love him like he is. You'd do anything for that kid. That makes you a father figure and it makes you nothing like Dan."

Nathan nodded. "I don't want to screw up for either of them. I don't want to ruin either of them. I've been a screw up for so long. I want to be the best guy I can be for them, but what if that isn't good enough?"

"Stop selling yourself short, little brother. You're great at this and it's effortless. You know what you're doing even if you don't think you do. Don't question yourself. Haley and Sam deserve better than your doubts because they don't doubt you for a second."

* * *

"I missed you." Haley was snuggled up to Nathan. Her fingers lightly tracing over the fine trail of hair beneath his belly button.

"The season is almost over. Then I'm all yours," he said quietly, his eyes closed. "Well, more all yours than I already am."

Haley sat up and ran her fingers along his jaw line, her eyes staring deep into his. "I love you, Nathan." Before he could respond, she sat up even further and kissed him. She curved her arm around his neck, bringing him closer to her. Nathan complied and soon, both were lying on the bed next to each other.

Nathan reached for the hem of Haley's t-shirt and ran his fingers over her skin just where the shirt was hiked up slightly. She moaned in his mouth and he moved closer to her. He bit gently at her lip before slipping his tongue into her mouth. He'd learned what was okay with Haley in the past few weeks. He was always considerate of her feelings and the boundaries that she needed, but he also knew what she was comfortable with and what he didn't need to ask permission to do.

"I missed you," Haley breathed as Nathan moved his lips from hers and down to her neck. He began sucking on her collarbone, making her moan further. Haley knew what he was doing was going to leave a mark, but it felt too good for her to care. Nathan's hair was growing and Haley gripped onto it, tugging it slightly and urging him to continue. Her other hand went down his back and came just beneath the waistband of his pajamas. She liked feeling the warm skin of his lower back. She heard him groan in appreciation as her hand went lower.

Haley wrapped one leg around Nathan's waist and could feel the hardness growing in his lower region. Instead of backing away, she arched herself into his body and wrapped her leg tighter around him. She pulled her lips away from his and took a moment to catch her breath. She looked into his eyes and the thing she saw more than anything else was love. The man in front of her was looking at her wish such pure love that in that moment she felt no fear and no apprehension.

She scooted herself up into a sitting position. Nathan looked at her, unsure of what she was doing. Haley bit her lip and Nathan could tell that she was thinking about something. He touched the palm of his hand to her cheek, rubbing it softly with his thumb.

"I love you," Haley whispered.

"I love you too, Hales."

Haley nodded and sat up from her position of leaning against her headboard. She brought her slightly trembling fingers to the hem of her shirt. Quickly, like tearing off a band aid, she lifted it over her head. She watched Nathan's reaction as his eyes looked at her breasts, covered in a light blue bra. She noticed his eyes turn a few shades darker.

Nathan's mouth went dry. They had been at this level of nakedness for several weeks now, but he still wanted to make sure that Haley was comfortable and that she knew that he didn't expect anything of her. Nathan took her face in both of his hands and kissed her. It wasn't the fevered kisses like before, but soft and gentle. It was reassuring. He hoped this kiss would tell her everything that he was feeling. They'd reached a level of comfort where Nathan no longer asked if she was okay. He still took his cues from her, but he knew that she was comfortable with this.

Haley reached for one of his hands as she moved her lips against his. She slipped her tongue into his mouth and took his hand and placed it on her shoulder, just over her bra strap. She pulled back and looked into his eyes.

"Take it off," she whispered.

"Hales…"

"Baby steps. I'm not ready for everything, but I want more. Go ahead." Haley held onto Nathan's hand that was on her shoulder. She nodded.

Tentatively, Nathan began lowering the strap. He kissed her shoulder, closing his eyes as he took in her scent. He looked at her, his eyes meeting hers as he finished lowering the strap. His hand traced the contours of her shoulder blade. Haley closed her eyes and moaned at the contact. She opened them, though, when Nathan's hands stilled. Nathan could tell from her response that she was comfortable, but this was still a new step for them. His hand reached the clasp, but he stopped. He looked into her eyes. If she wanted him to, he would stop.

Haley took Nathan's hand, the one that wasn't at her bra clasp, and brought it to her lips. She kissed his hand, letting him know he could continue. Nathan sucked in a breath as he unclasped Haley's bra, letting the garment fall. Haley picked it up and tossed it aside.

Nathan's eyes were focused on her breasts. Haley blushed under his intense gaze. Nathan swallowed hard and brought his eyes back up to Haley's. He noticed her biting her lip.

"You're beautiful," he told her with every ounce of sincerity in him. "I love you."

Haley wound her arms around her neck, bringing him closer to her. Nathan groaned at the feel of Haley's breasts against his chest. He felt her nipples harden. He slowly let his fingers move down her back to her side. He took things slowly with her.

"Go ahead," Haley said, not fully taking her lips from his. She pulled him down so that he was lying on top of her. "Go ahead," she repeated.

Nathan proceeded by touching his thumb to the side of her breast. When Haley didn't stop kissing him, he moved his hand to cup her breast. His thumb grazed over the hardened nipple and Haley moaned loudly. She arched her back into him, her thigh making contact with Nathan's lower half. Haley raised her knee, settling Nathan in the cradle between her thighs.

"You feel so good, Hales."

"So do you." Haley tugged on his hair while keeping his head in place, his lips working against hers. Haley let her hand move lower down his back to the waistband of his pajamas. She let her hand slip underneath the waistband. She stilled it just at the small of his back.

Haley arched her back again when Nathan began massaging her other breast. Feeling Nathan's hardness, Haley grinded herself into him, craving more contact.

Nathan kissed Haley once more and pulled back. "Haley…," he sighed. "Are you ready to go further?"

Haley kissed Nathan on the cheek, closing her eyes. "No," she answered. "I'm not."

"Then I need to stop. I'm sorry."

Haley kissed him again. "I'm sorry. I got carried away."

Nathan chuckled. "I liked it. I just… if we keep going. You're pretty tempting, Haley James. And you've got one hell of a rack," he smirked.

"Nathan!" Haley's skin turned even more red than it was before, from both her earlier blush and the frenzied activities she and Nathan had been involved in. She playfully smacked his arm. "I guess I should let you settle down."

"Thanks." He moved off of her and sat next to her, leaning against the headboard with his eyes shut. He was having a lot of trouble getting his girlfriend's breasts out of his mind.

Haley looked over and noticed that his eyes were closed and his lips were moving. "I'll just put my shirt back on."

"That's probably a good idea," Nathan replied. "Although I like the view." Nathan continued going over stats in his head. This time they weren't his own, but Lucas's. If thinking of basketball statistics didn't calm him down, then thinking of his brother would definitely do that.

When Nathan was sure he was okay, he opened his eyes and looked at Haley. She was sitting next to him, her legs crossed and biting her lip. She was now fully clothed. Nathan smiled at her.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Nathan. I wanted that. I'm sorry I'm not ready go to further."

Nathan shook his head. "Don't apologize."

Haley noticed that Nathan had cooled down and so she curled up next to him, letting her arm rest over his stomach.

Things were progressing between them and that had Nathan thinking. It had Nathan thinking a lot. They got far. They were getting further and further, but he was always the one to stop even though she knew she wasn't ready yet.

"Hales?"

"Mmm?"

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea but I need to ask you something. You know I'd never pressure you to do anything you don't want to do."

"I know that." Haley sat up and looked at Nathan. She could see how nervous he looked.

"Haley… why. Why do you think you aren't ready yet?"

Haley hadn't expected that question. She'd asked herself the same thing. She hadn't considered the fact that Nathan might be wondering that because he'd been so good about being so patient with her. Now she was worried that maybe he was getting impatient and didn't want to wait anymore. She couldn't really blame him. If he'd been dating anyone else, they would have been having sex months ago. Instead, he was dating her. And she was scared.

"I'm so sorry I keep making you wait, Nathan. I'm so sorry. This isn't fair to you at all."

"No, Haley. No, no, no." He turned so he was facing her and took both of her hands in his. He looked down and saw his large hands enveloping her smaller ones. "I'm just. I'm fine. I'd wait forever for you, Hales. I love you."

"But you're wondering why I'm not ready."

"Only because I'm usually the one to stop."

"I could go on kissing you, Nathan. I never get tired of it. And we've gotten further and I like that too. I really like it."

"I just wonder, Haley." He ran his hands through his hair. "I wonder if maybe you think about him. About what happened to you."

Haley looked at Nathan and felt guilty. "Oh, God. Nathan, no."

"I would understand if you did, Haley."

Haley began crying softly. "I've never thought about that when we're together, Nathan. Never."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure."

"You'd tell me if you did?"

Haley nodded. "I wouldn't like it, but I would. We've always been honest with each other. I've never thought about that when I'm with you and I don't think I ever will. I'm not ready because," Haley bit on her lip, "because a part of me still sees myself as damaged. We start making out and I get really into it and I want you so much, Nathan. If you didn't stop, I don't know what would happen. But you do and when I think about it afterwards, I'm always grateful. Because then I remember that I was raped. And then I worry that because of that, I might not be enough for you."

Nathan crashed his lips into Haley's. "You're more than enough, Haley. You will be more than enough."

"I can't help that I feel that way. I'm trying not to. I get angry that I feel that way and that he still has that hold over me because I do want you and I do want to make love to you."

"You take your time, Hales. Just know that you're not damaged. I think you're perfect." Nathan hugged her and urged her to lay closer next to him. Haley did as he indicated and put her hand back on his bare stomach, feeling his abs beneath her fingers.

"I'm really sorry I just can't get over this, Nathan."

"I don't want you to ever apologize for that. Never feel like I'm pressuring you. I just wanted to know if you were thinking about, you know, while we're… you know."

"No, never. It's always you, Nathan. Never anyone else."

"I'm glad," Nathan told her, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it.

The two relaxed together for several more minutes. Nathan felt himself drifting off to sleep. The feel of Haley lightly tracing invisible patterns on his stomach was so soothing. He didn't need sex. Right now, he had Haley and was holding her and he was content.

"Besides," Haley spoke, stopping Nathan from falling asleep, "I'm going to need to go on the pill before we go any further."

"The pill?" Nathan was now wide awake. He remembered the conversation they'd had at Tric. She hadn't actually said she wanted to have kids with him. He told her he did; he poured his heart out to her and told her that he wanted to have a family with her. She had said she loved him and that was it.

"I know it was only a couple of months ago, but we both agreed we weren't ready yet. We're still not. I would love to be the mother of your children, Nathan. Just not yet. So, I want to make love to you. I hope that I can soon. I just need a little more time before we start making babies."

Nathan tightened his grip on her and smiled. "Yeah. That sounds like a plan. I've gotta say, though, I'm really looking forward to getting you pregnant someday."

"Stop, you're embarrassing me."

"I'm serious, Hales. I think it's gonna be pretty great. A little version of you and me. When you're ready, we'll just get in lots of practice so that when we are ready to have kids we're good to go."

"You've got this all planned out, don't you?"

"It's kinda nice, right? Planning our future."

"I like the sound of that. Our future."

* * *

**Note:** I really hope that was worth waiting for. We're in for a bumpy road for Nathan and Haley coming up. Just to warn you. Thank you for reading and reviewing!


	28. Chapter TwentySeven

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Well, that took a while. I'm really sorry about that. Life got busy and then I also had some trouble writing this one. I know some of you are hoping that Nathan and Haley's relationship goes to another level in this one. We have several more chapters before that happens though. Several. Remember how I said things are about to get bumpy? They've got to get past those bumps first. Anyway, thank you for reading and reviewing! And thank you for being patient while I wrote this chapter.

* * *

Nathan walked into the recording studio at Red Bedroom Records. The door to the studio was closed and the red light was on, so Nathan waited behind the glass. Hunched over the controls was a lanky man with tall, healthy hair with blonde highlights. He shook his head as he watched Haley from behind the glass. She was sitting on a stool, her guitar in front of her as she strummed and sang. Her eyes were closed as she sang every word.

Nathan didn't know that she would be recording today. He thought he would come by for lunch. He always did when he wasn't on the road. He would practice in the morning, shower, and then go see Haley for lunch. It had become their thing without them even realizing it. Nathan watched her with awe. He never failed to be impressed with her when she performed. She was great. She was her music. When she was performing it, she inhabited it completely. She was in her own world as the notes flowed through her. Nathan felt that way when he played basketball. He couldn't imagine life without it and hoped that just maybe Haley got a similar feeling watching him play as he did when he watched her perform.

She wasn't even performing for a crowd. She was the only one in the booth. It was just her and her guitar. And this lanky guy, watching from the window, shaking his head.

"Who are you?" The guy's raspy voice broke Nathan from his thoughts. He wasn't even aware that the guy knew he was there.

"Uh, I'm Nathan. I'm her boyfriend." Nathan took a step forward to shake the guy's hand, but he didn't turn around. Nathan didn't like that. It was rude. He understood this guy was busy, but something about him rubbed Nathan the wrong way. For one thing, he did not like the guy was shaking his head at Haley. Nathan might not have known much about music, but he knew Haley had a lot of talent and that she was better than this guy shaking his head at her.

"Good work, man," the guy finally replied.

"Excuse me?"

"Do you know how many of us have been wanting to nail your girlfriend?"

That was it. Nathan was now angry. There was a time when Nathan would have spoken about a woman like that, but not anymore. No woman deserved it. Haley definitely didn't deserve it.

"Listen, I don't know who you-," Nathan began to respond, but was interrupted.

"Chris, play that last verse back," Haley ordered from the sound booth.

"You have a visitor," Chris informed her, pointing at Nathan.

"Hey!" Haley stood from the stool and walked into the adjoining room. She set her guitar in the corner and walked up to Nathan and kissed him. "Lunch time already?"

"Yeah," Nathan said tersely. He kissed Haley, but soon his eyes were back on the other guy in the room.

"Nathan, this is Chris Keller. Chris, this is Nathan, my boyfriend." Haley kept one arm around Nathan as she introduced him to Chris.

"We're working," Chris stated, looking annoyed.

"I'm going to lunch," Haley stated, looking defiant.

"We weren't done."

"We're adding backing vocals that we aren't even going to use. This is just to show the band which direction they're trying to go to."

"And it's important. This is why you and Peyton hired Chris Keller."

"And I'm still going to lunch. Ready, Nathan?"

"Yeah." Nathan glared at Chris as he and Haley left.

Nathan had wondered why Haley didn't want to work with Chris. Whenever Peyton suggested it, Haley reacted so strongly. Now Nathan understood why. He'd only just met Chris Keller, but he already didn't like him.

Haley kept her arm around Nathan's waist as they rode the elevator and walked out of the building. She could feel the tension in his body and wanted to sooth it. She figured that he was probably stressed about playoffs. There was a game tonight and he had to be in top form. Add to that the fact that Dan's parole hearing was approaching, Haley knew that Nathan needed a break. She wanted him to be able to relax and not have to worry about a thing. She gently rubbed his back as they walked a few blocks down the street to a small coffee shop.

They were seated quickly in a booth in the corner. The staff at this coffee shop knew that Haley, Brooke, and Peyton sometimes came in. Sometimes Haley would be with Nathan and the owners and staff were good about making sure they had their privacy. Instead of sitting across from Nathan and facing him, Haley chose to sit next to him. She leaned against him as they both looked through the menu.

When Nathan set his menu down, Haley assumed he had made a choice about his lunch. She set hers down at the edge of the table with his. He had one hand resting on the table and the other around Haley's shoulders. Haley took the hand that was draped over her shoulder, letting the largeness of it envelop her smaller hand.

"What's bothering you? Talk to me," she urged.

Nathan put his head on top of Haley's. "How can you tell something's wrong?"

"Well," Haley began, "when you came into the studio, you didn't look that happy. And you've been tense ever since. I can feel it, Nathan. Your body is wound so tight."

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice."

"What's going on? The game? Your dad?"

"No. Well, yeah, that stuff is there. It's a big game tonight."

"I'll be there cheering you on," Haley grinned, looking up and kissing him.

"I'm glad." Nathan gave Haley the first genuine smile to grace his face since he came into the studio. "There's just something about that Chris guy I don't like," Nathan admitted.

"Ah. That. He can come off a little… strong. He's got this thing about music where he thinks you need to be completely selfish to be successful at it. He's sort of right. But, he lets that dictate his behavior. He gets focused."

Nathan nodded. He understood needing to be selfish for your career. It's what he had always done. When he played in high school, he had been an incredibly selfish player. It took him a while before he learned to play it as a team sport. Even then, though, he still played knowing that he was responsible for his own career. It had been his top priority.

Things change. Nathan realized that Haley had never been completely selfish about her career. Sam came first and if her career interfered with him, then the choice would always be Sam. No matter what. She wasn't able to be completely selfish like Chris thought she should be. Nathan thought that was one of the things that made her such a great mother.

"He likes you," Nathan stated.

Haley laughed. "He's a complete horn dog. He hits on almost everyone, Nathan. What makes you think he likes me?"

Nathan didn't want to answer that. He didn't want to tell Haley what Chris had told him. She didn't need to hear that this guy she had hired had talked about her like she was some slut.

Haley noticed the shift in Nathan's expression and sat up completely. "Nathan, what did he say?"

"It was nothing, Hales."

"Nathan, it's obviously bothering you."

"He, uh, he said that him and some other guys… Well, he congratulated me because apparently they want you." Nathan figured he didn't have to use Chris's exact words. That wouldn't make it seem so bad.

Haley looked at the conflicted expression on her boyfriend's face. Haley had known Chris Keller for a couple of years and she knew the way he talked about women. He wouldn't have left it at just wanting her. He would have been more blunt about it.

"He was more graphic, wasn't he?"

Nathan winced. "I guess.

"Nathan."

"Yeah. He was more graphic. Sorry, Hales."

"Why are you apologizing, Nathan?"

"Because you work with the guy. You shouldn't have to know he's talking about you like that. You're, like, his boss."

"I am his boss. I think that means I should know what he's saying. I don't like hearing it, but I'm glad that I know. It'll help me with dealing with him."

"I know other guys want you. You're beautiful. You're sexy. Millions of guys know who you are. Of course they want you. I guess it's just different knowing that one of those guys that wants you is working with you. You guys are close right now."

"Oh, Nathan. Chris and I are not close. You have nothing to worry about. Just because he makes some stupid comment doesn't mean anything. It especially doesn't mean anything about the two of us. I love you. No guy in the past few years has ever made me feel anything, especially not the way you do. No man has ever made me feel what you make me feel. That includes Chris Keller."

Nathan nodded. "I know. But I still like hearing you say that."

"You, Nathan Scott, are the only man who has ever made me feel like this."

"Like what?" A smirk graced Nathan's face.

Haley laughed. "Alive. Not that I didn't feel alive before. But, like a woman. And like I'm worthy."

The enormity of what Haley just confessed hit Nathan. He leaned in and captured her lips in his, not caring that anyone could see them since they were in a public place. Their lips parted, but Nathan didn't pull away. He kept his eyes closed. Haley could feel his breath on her face.

Nathan whispered so that no one else could hear. "I hate that you've felt like you weren't worthy. I hate that someone made you feel that way. I don't know what I did to make you feel worthy, but whatever it is, I'll keep doing it because you should feel worthy. Because you are."

"You love me," Haley, too, was whispering. "You make me feel worthy by loving me."

"Then I can definitely keep doing that."

"Good. Don't ever stop. Always and forever."

"Always and forever." Nathan rested his head on top of Haley's. It was something he'd grown to do automatically ever since they started sharing a bed. "I'm sorry I've been such a buzzkill for lunch."

"It's fine, Nathan. Besides, it's kind of sexy seeing how protective you get like that."

"Well, in that case, Keller better step off and realize you've got a boyfriend who could kick his ass if he gets out of line."

Haley laughed again. "Down boy. If Chris gets out of line again, I'll just tell him we can't work together anymore."

"Really? You'd do that?"

Haley nodded. "It makes me uncomfortable, Nathan. Not to mention, it's completely disrespectful. I am his boss."

"Well, tell me if you need my help. I'm serious. I'll kick his ass if I have to."

"I don't think it would be much of a fight," Haley admitted. "He's on the scrawny side."

* * *

A drop of sweat fell from Nathan's forehead to his nose. He wiped it off, putting his hand back on his knee. He was crouched on the court at the Staples Center. He watched as a member of the other team stood at the line and tried for a free throw. The game was tied and there were only two minutes left. Nathan stole a glance over to the sidelines. He frowned at the vacant chair that should have been occupied by Haley. It was in the same section as the rest of the wives and girlfriends for his teammates.

She hadn't missed a home game since the playoffs began and he was worried. As the game went on and she still wasn't there, it was beginning to affect his game. He was okay during the first half; he figured she was just running a little late. Now, though, she still wasn't there and he was worried. He couldn't help thinking that maybe something had happened to her. Because he was in the middle of a game, he couldn't go grab his phone to call and check on her.

Nathan couldn't wait for the game to end. The only thing on his mind was calling Haley to see if she was okay. Nathan looked back at the guy positioned to make a free throw. Nathan hoped he wouldn't make it and that it would happen quickly. He just wanted the game to be over. Nathan played the rest of the two minutes or so in a daze. He didn't make a move to go for the ball, he ran down the court, but was simply going through the motions.

When the buzzer sounded, one of Nathan's teammates had just tossed the ball into the net, allowing for a Lakers victory. The team celebrated around Nathan, but he made a beeline for the locker room. He just wanted to get to his phone and call Haley. He knew that when the rest of the team and the coach got back there he'd be hearing about his dwindling performance on the court as the game continued. Right now, he was worried though.

Nathan went through his contacts. Haley was the number he called most and it was at the top of the list. Her phone rang. It rang, and rang, and it rang. Frustrated, Nathan banged his fist on his locker.

"Dammit, Haley, where are you?"

* * *

"Okay, guys, that sounds great. I want you to keep on track with that for tomorrow. You're getting comfortable in the studio and it's really coming together." Haley glanced at the clock in the sound booth. She'd glanced at it occasionally, but time seemed to be going so slowly. In fact, it looked like it hadn't moved since the last time she checked.

"Has that clock moved?" Haley pointed at it, looking at the members of the band. She glanced back at Chris, who was tuning a guitar.

"I took the batteries out a few hours ago," he explained, not looking up at her.

Haley felt her heart begin to beat faster. A few hours? As in three hours? She had planned it so she would get to Nathan's game just in time. If it had been a few hours then that means she missed the entire thing. "What time is it?" Haley marched to where the sound controls were and grabbed her purse. She took her phone out and noticed that she had several missed calls from Nathan. She looked at the time. She was sure that she'd missed the entire game. She should be home now with Nathan and Sam.

Sam. Thinking of him, Haley felt her temper flare up. It had been bubbling near the surface when Chris nonchalantly told her that he had taken the batteries from the clock.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Haley rarely yelled. Now, she felt like yelling.

Chris looked up at her like the answer was obvious. "Haley, you'd been looking at that clock all night. We had work to do and you needed to focus. And look how great it worked. We got a lot done. Right guys?" Chris looked at the band for support, but they all pretended to be doing something else.

"I have one major rule, Chris. One. I leave when I say I need to leave. It has been that way the entire time we've been working together. Why do I have that rule, Chris?"

"Your kid. I know that Haley. But tonight you were just going to some basketball game."

"Chris, if I say I need to be somewhere, I need to be somewhere. You work for me! At least you did." The fact that Chris wasn't seeing anything wrong with what he did was making her angrier. "You're fired."

"What? Haley, that's ridiculous! For taking batteries out of a clock?"

"And for being disrespectful to your boss."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Your little conversation with Nathan today."

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Haley! I made one stupid little comment!"

"Chris, you're fired!"

"You don't think you're overreacting a little bit?"

"You're fired. Millie?" Haley called for her assistant. She knew Millie would still be there. Millie never left until Haley, Peyton, and Brooke were all leaving. If one of them was still there, Millie was still there.

A few seconds later, Millicent came scurrying into the room. "Yes? Why aren't you at the game?"

"I have to run. Chris took the batteries out of the clock. He's fired, by the way. Millie can you lock up?"

"Absolutely. Get home safely, Haley."

Haley offered her thanks as she walked briskly out, taking her purse with her. She dialed Nathan's number as she made her way to her car. He didn't pick up, which made Haley even more anxious. She wondered if he was doing interviews after the game or talking with the coaches. She didn't even know if the team had won or not.

Haley was sure she was hitting every single red light as she drove home. It seemed like it was taking her double the time that it normally did. She considered driving to the Staples Center to see if Nathan was still there. Sam was at home with Peyton, though, and Haley needed to get home to him. She couldn't believe the nerve of Chris. It had always been explained when she and Peyton brought people in, whenever they signed new talent, when Haley said she needed to leave then she needed to leave. It was the one thing that everyone understood that they did not interfere with. Everyone except for Chris Keller.

* * *

Haley finally made it home, but she didn't see Peyton's Comet in front of the house. When she opened the garage, she saw Nathan's car parked there. Haley sighed. She was so angry with Chris for what he did. If only she and Peyton hadn't banned cell phones from the recording booth. It made sense to have that rule, but now Haley was wishing that she had somehow been able to tell the actual time. She was going to start wearing a watch.

She quietly walked into the house. It was quiet inside and as far as she could see, there was only one light on. Haley ran her hands through her hair as she walked up the stairs. She assumed that Sam was safe and sound. Of course he was with Nathan here. She wondered what he'd said to Peyton when he got home.

Haley opened Sam's door. He was snuggled underneath his covers. Haley walked into the room and ran her hand along his cheek, careful not to wake him up. She kissed him softly before leaving the room. She walked across the hall to her own room and saw the door slightly ajar. She braced herself before walking in. She saw Nathan in jeans and a t-shirt, pacing in front of the window.

"I'm so sorry, Nathan." Haley's voice was just above a whisper as she walked in. She took her shoes off and picked them up, using them as an excuse to do something with her hands. He looked so anxious as he was pacing and Haley felt so guilty.

"Haley?" Nathan looked up at her. He looked relieved. With a few quick strides, he was across the room and had pulled her into a tight hug. "I was so worried. You weren't there and you weren't answering your phone."

"I saw you called. I'm so sorry, Nathan. I'm so, so sorry."

"I'm just glad you're okay." He kissed her forehead and hugged her again.

"I'm really sorry, Nathan. I can't believe I missed your game. I'll make it up to you, I swear. Sam and I will flight out to an away game."

"Haley, you don't have to do that. I was just worried. I didn't know where you were."

"I'll tell you what happened, just promise me you won't get mad."

"I don't like the sound of that."

Haley remembered how Nathan reacted earlier in the day to the comment Chris had made. She hoped he'd be calm when she told him what Chris had done.

"Why don't we get comfortable first, okay?"

"Okay… You're sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Nathan. I just feel really bad about this. I can't believe I missed your playoff game."

"Hales, it's okay. It's not like it's the last game I'm ever going to play."

Haley nodded as she walked to her dresser. She pulled out Nathan's pajamas from his drawer and handed them to him before pulling out her own.

When they were in their pajamas and sitting in bed next to each other, Haley turned to face Nathan. She bit her lip.

"Chris took the batteries out of the clock in the booth. You know Peyton and I don't allow cell phones in there. He said I kept looking at it and I was distracted, so he took the batteries out."

"He did what?" Nathan's voice grew louder. Haley quickly shushed him, indicating across the hall.

"Sam is asleep."

"Sorry. He did what? Haley!"

"I know. I know, Nathan. He thought we weren't getting enough work done."

"Haley, you told him you needed to leave, right?"

"I did. And they all know that if I say I have to leave at a certain time then I need to leave. Everyone knows that. Chris just thought that since it wasn't for Sam that it wasn't that important."

"That son of a bitch."

"I fired him."

Nathan was surprised. Haley was so sweet that he didn't expect her to take such a strong stand with Chris. She never let anyone walk all over her, but she was willing to give people second chances.

"You fired him?"

Haley nodded. "Nathan, he wasn't showing me any respect. With what he said earlier and then this. I can't work with someone like that. I didn't want to hire him in the first place. He knows why I have that rule."

"It wasn't Sam, though. It was just me. Sam was with Peyton, he was okay," Nathan argued. He loved that Haley had fired Chris. Nathan didn't like the guy one bit, but this was her music and her company. He didn't want her business to suffer because of him.

"If he does this, he could have done it with Sam. And you're important Nathan. You would have been there to support me."

"Haley, I just don't want this to make things go bad for you at work."

"It's fine. Nathan, please. This was the right thing to do. I told Peyton I didn't want to hire him."

"Is she going to be upset?"

Haley shook her head. "Not when I tell her what he did."

"I was just worried, Hales. You're normally there. You weren't and then you didn't answer your phone. So I was worried about you. I don't know what I'd do if something ever happened to you."

"You won't find out." Haley wrapped her arms around Nathan's neck, lying next to him. "I'm sorry I worried you. I tried calling you on my way out."

"I turned my phone on silent when I got home because I didn't want it to wake Sam. I was about to check it to see if you called when you walked in."

"What did Peyton say when you got home?"

"She was worried when I said you weren't there. You should probably tell her you're okay."

"I'll send her a text message." Haley reached for her phone and typed a message to Peyton. When she lay back next to Nathan, she began tracing the outline of some indecipherable shape on his stomach. "How did the game go? I'm sorry, I didn't ask."

"We won."

"That's great. Congratulations. How'd you do?" Haley had begun asking him about his stats. Slowly, she was learning what each one meant. When Nathan didn't answer she looked at him. "Nathan?"

"Not so good." He didn't want to tell her, but he also didn't want to lie.

"What happened?"

"I was worried. You weren't there and I kept looking at your seat. I played well at first, but then…"

"Oh, God, Nathan, I am so sorry." Haley left a soft kiss on Nathan's chest. "If I could fire Chris all over again I would. Right now I'm so angry at him."

"You'll be at the next one, Hales."

"Yeah. I definitely will. It really is a good thing that's not the last game you're playing."

"Nope. Another game tomorrow."

"And I will be there. And you'll be great. I know it."

"I love you, Haley. I know Chris is good at what he does and he was helping you guys out, but I'm really glad you don't have to work with the guy anymore. I didn't want you to after what he said today, but it's your company. I'm just glad he's going away."

"I love you, too. I love you so much. And I am not going anywhere."

* * *

**Note:** I hope that was worth the wait. Hopefully there won't be as long of a wait for the next one, but we'll see. Also, I hope everyone else is enjoying season eight! Thanks for the reviews!


	29. Chapter TwentyEight

**Disclaimer: **One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note: **This chapter is filled with drama. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

Deb Lee walked back and forth down her hallway. She had her phone clasped to her chest, dreading the call she had to make. It had been a rough morning. Deb, Karen, and Keith had all gone to the prison to testify at Dan's parole hearing. They each knew what was likely to happen. They knew what the decision was likely to be. Knowing that before they went in there almost made the act seem futile.

Deb had woken up dreading what had to be done. She didn't want Dan Scott back in her life. She knew that Nathan didn't want Dan back in his life. She just hoped that Dan would stay away if he was released. Things were going so well for Nathan. Everything in his life was working. Nathan had always been susceptible to Dan, though. Dan had a way of needling and bullying Nathan. Deb hadn't protected Nathan when he was growing up, so she was going to make sure she did it now. Even if she felt it really wasn't going to do any good, she was going to do it.

The attorney that Keith, Karen, and Deb had consulted had told them what the likely outcome of the hearing would be. The three of them walked out of the prison knowing that they had done all that they could. Now it was all up to the parole board. The decision had come down quickly.

Deb stopped by the banister and leaned against it. She lowered her head. She felt the dread creep all over her body. She knew it wasn't going to get any better. She knew that it would probably get worse if she put it off. She hoped the parole board would wait another day. It would be better if Nathan didn't have to find out and then go and play a game. Deb had spent too much time keeping things from Nathan in the past and she couldn't do that anymore. With that resolve, she dialed his number and waited for him to pick up.

* * *

"So, you fired Chris Keller." Peyton strolled into the studio. She found Haley sitting behind her desk. She was typing on her laptop, hitting the keys quickly, her eyes focused on the screen.

Haley kept typing. She had paperwork to file after firing Chris Keller. Once that was done, that headache would be gone. She couldn't wait. She still felt so guilty for missing Nathan's game the night before. If she felt this guilty about missing a basketball game, she couldn't imagine what she'd been feeling if she'd missed picking up Sam or attending something for him. She was at least grateful that Chris acknowledged that he knew she wasn't missing anything for Sam.

She had no regrets about firing him, though. She had thought about it some and maybe she had overreacted. She'd never been comfortable with men making sexual comments about her. She couldn't help it. Her experience with sex wasn't a good one. It had taken some time for her to be comfortable around Nathan in a physical way. To have an employee talk about her that way made her uncomfortable. Not to mention, she was actually his boss and he had no right to disrespect her that way. Taking the batteries out of the clock was the icing on the cake. She had informed everyone that she needed to leave at a specific time and he had completely disregarded that.

Haley hit send and looked at Peyton. "I fired Chris Keller." Haley folded her hands together and rested her chin on them.

"I'm glad you made it home. Nathan seemed pretty worried when he got to the house."

"Ugh." Haley rubbed her face with her hands and shook her head. She hated that Nathan had been so worried. She didn't want him to be so worried about her.

"So, you text me last night to tell me you're home and that you've fired Chris. What happened?" Peyton took a seat behind her own desk, propping her feet on top of it.

Haley leaned back in her chair. "Nathan came by yesterday for lunch. He met Chris. Chris made some comment about me. It was disrespectful, Peyton."

"Haley, I know you don't like the guy but you can't fire him for making a comment."

"Peyton, I was late last night because that idiot took the batteries out of the clock. He said I wasn't focused on work."

"That son of a bitch!"

"So, you're okay that I fired him?"

Peyton nodded. "Sorry he did that."

"Don't worry about it. He's gone now."

"Yeah, but I'm the one who hired him. I'm really sorry, Hales." Peyton began looking through the mail and memos on her desk. "What was that comment he made?"

"He congratulated Nathan on going out with me because apparently he and a lot of other guys… well, you know."

"Ah. One of those comments. Well, the little horn dog has always had trouble keeping his eyes on your face. I'll bet Nathan loved that."

"He was mad, but he was pretty understanding. He wasn't happy at all with Chris. But he knows this is our company and we have to do what's best for it. I think he was really happy when I told him I fired Chris, though."

"I can't believe that punk did that to the clock. We tell everyone that you need to leave at a certain time because you need to leave at a certain time. It's the rule everyone knows not to break."

"He broke it. The worst thing was that he acted like it was no big deal. I'm his boss. He needs to respect me. He never has. He thinks I need to be more selfish. He told me once I wouldn't be great until I was completely selfish."

"You're already great. Chris Keller can go screw himself." Peyton laughed. "He probably has."

* * *

Nathan sat in his car staring at the parking lot in front of him. He'd gotten out of practice to see that his mother had left him a message and asked him to call her immediately. He had a feeling that it was about Dan's parole hearing. He'd been dreading this. He hoped that a decision wouldn't be made for another day so he could focus on the game tonight. He wanted to play really well since he played so poorly the night before. Tonight would be better. He knew nothing would keep Haley from being there tonight. He didn't want her to feel guilty. He knew that she hadn't meant for it to happen. She would have never done that on purpose. Haley was someone who if she promised something, she kept her word.

He didn't know what he expected from that phone call. It wasn't the news he wanted to hear. Dan Scott was being released from prison. He was going to be free. Nathan took some comfort in the fact that for a while at least Dan wouldn't be allowed to leave North Carolina.

Nathan thought about what he should do now. His first instinct was to go talk to Haley. He now had someone in his life he could share these things with. He had someone he could go talk to. He put the key into the ignition and started the engine. Just being around Haley would make him feel better. He knew that whatever happened with Dan that he would have her by his side.

As Nathan drove to the studio, he thought about what he would have done before Haley. He thought a lot about who he was before Haley. He'd been selfish. He wasn't the kind of man who would think things through and talk through a problem. He was someone who just reacted. That man wouldn't have had someone he could talk to. He had Lucas, but Nathan would have never talked to him.

Lucas. He should call him. Lucas didn't have the same connection to Dan that Nathan did. Nathan thought Lucas was lucky because he didn't have to grow up around Dan. Karen had probably called Lucas. She would know what to say to Lucas. Karen was always a comforting, nurturing person. She reminded him of Haley in that regard. Nathan would call Lucas after he talked to Haley. He just wanted to talk to Haley.

Last night, he felt relieved knowing that she was okay. He also felt relieved knowing that she wasn't working with Chris Keller anymore. He didn't like how jealous he felt over Keller. He couldn't believe that he purposely broke the clock. Last night, Haley had told Nathan that she would always be there for him and that she wasn't going anywhere. He needed that to be true now more than ever.

* * *

Haley moved around the recording studio. She was setting up for the band to come in and rehearse. They would be there soon. That is, if they were on time. She'd be working with them for a bit and then Peyton would be taking over. She was bent over, picking up a piece of sheet music that had fallen when she heard him.

"Nice ass."

Haley quickly stood up and smoothed out her skirt. It wasn't too short, but she felt like everything could be seen now. She turned around and saw Chris leaning against the wall.

"What are you doing here?"

"Are you sure I'm still fired?" Chris walked into the booth and sat on the piano bench.

"After what you just said, I'm more sure than I was last night. You can't talk to me like that Chris. Or about me like that."

"All I said to your boyfriend was that me and some of the guys had been wanting to nail you for a long time. It's a compliment, Haley!"

"It's degrading! Chris, you can't talk about me like that! I told you two years ago that I didn't like it. I'm also your boss. Or at least I was. It was always made completely clear that if I say I need to leave, I need to leave."

"It was a stupid basketball game!"

"It was a basketball game, yes. But I also told Peyton that I would be home at a certain time for Sam and I was late for that. You don't do that, Chris!"

"You realize what this is, right?"

"What are you talking about?"

Chris stood up and stood directly in front of Haley. Haley took a step backwards, not liking the close proximity she was now in with Chris.

"You know what I'm talking about. I make you mad. I get under your skin. It's like pulling your pigtails. You're into me and I'm into you. It's always been that way. I don't know why you're with the jock, but be with me instead."

"Are you insane?" Haley took a few more steps backward. Chris matched her movements and walked toward her. "Chris, I have never been interested in you! And the jock? He's not just a jock. He's a good, kind man and I love him. All you've shown me these past two days is that you don't respect me and you don't respect my relationship."

"I don't respect your relationship, but I do respect you."

"It's the same thing! And you don't respect me. If you respected me, you wouldn't have broken the clock."

Chris closed the distance between him and Haley. He put one hand on her shoulder and the other on her hip. He ducked his head and brushed his lips against hers. Haley tried to back away, but Chris intensified the kiss. He tightened his grip on her, trying to keep her in place as she struggled against him.

Haley wasn't just feeling uncomfortable. She was feeling a great deal of anxiety. She didn't like the feel of Chris's hands on her. She didn't like that he was struggling to keep her close to him. He was forcing her to kiss him. Her mind flashed to that night at school several years ago. She remembered the last time a man forced himself on her. Using all of her strength, Haley pushed Chris away. He stumbled back, but had an arrogant grin on his face.

"You kissed me back."

"You forced me to kiss you!" Haley wrapped her sweater closer to her body, covering herself. "You, you don't do that to a person Chris! I did not kiss you back. I was spending the entire time trying to get you off of me!"

"You wanted to kiss me." Chris stood up straight and started walking toward Haley again. Her first instinct was to back away and try to hide. Her mind again flashed to the last time a man tried cornering her like this. Haley was angry. Chris was making her relive something she didn't want to relive. She curled her hand into a fist and pulled her arm back. She aimed for Chris's jaw and hit it, sending him to the ground.

"Get out of my studio and never come back." Haley felt her voice breaking. She could feel her emotions breaking through. She went to the door but stopped when she saw Nathan behind the glass. He was staring, his mouth agape. She walked to him hesitantly.

"Hi," she said. She kept her sweater wrapped around her but placed her hand on Nathan's forearm. He backed away, surprising Haley. She looked at him quizzically. "Nathan?"

"You kissed him," he stated. "You two kissed." Nathan looked over Haley and saw Chris massaging his jaw.

"Nathan, he kissed me." She talked toward him again. "Nathan."

"I can't do this. I can't do this today." Nathan turned and ran out of the studio. Haley watched him go. She was now even angrier with Chris than she was before.

"If you're not gone before I get back, I will have security throw you out!" Haley broke into a run and stopped when she got to the elevator. She frantically hit the button, trying to get the elevator to get there faster. When it didn't, she turned to the stairs. She sprinted down them, hoping to catch Nathan. As she made it to the street, she saw his car tearing down the street. She put her head in her hands, frustrated. "DAMMIT!"

Haley walked back into the studio. As she walked in, she heard the ding of the arriving elevator. Chris stepped out, carrying a guitar and some sheet music. Haley walked into the elevator, not acknowledging him. In the elevator, she moved to the corner and put her knees together, placing her hands on them, and then putting her head down.

When the elevator got to the Red Bedroom floor, she saw Brooke waiting in her office. Haley didn't say anything to her. She picked her phone up and called Nathan. The phone went straight to voice mail and Haley exhaled. She was clearly frustrated.

"Nathan, it's me. We need to talk. What you saw, it wasn't… Well, you saw that but if you saw that, you saw what happened after that. We need to talk. I love you."

"Haley, what happened?" Brooke noticed that Haley's eyes were beginning to be filled with tears. She saw Haley's hands shaking and the pale look on her face.

"Chris Keller happened."

"What?"

"Tell Peyton that I had to go," Haley walked out of the office, not explaining to Brooke where she was going. Haley looked at the time on her phone and sighed. She had a doctor's appointment in about two hours. She was going to look into going on the pill. She was going to have to miss that appointment. Right now she needed to find Nathan.

Haley got into her car. Before she began driving, she checked her phone again. Still nothing from Nathan.

Haley drove to her house first. She didn't see Nathan's car there, but she still ran into the house and called out to him. He was nowhere to be found. He hadn't been there at all. She could tell because his equipment for the game was still in the hallway. She drove to the next place she could think of. Nathan had given Haley a key to his house not long ago, even though they were rarely there. When she got inside, she did the same thing she did at her own house. She looked throughout the house, calling out for Nathan. Again, he wasn't there. She didn't know where to look next. She paced the length of Nathan's hallway. She was going to have to do the only thing she could think of. She dialed Lucas's number. He picked up on the second ring and Haley felt comfort hearing his voice.

"Luke." When she spoke, her voice broke.

"Haley, what's wrong?"

"Nathan… we just… he ran out and he won't call me back and he wasn't at the house or at his house and I need to find him, Lucas."

"Haley, what happened?" Lucas's voice became serious and tinged with worry.

"He came to the studio and he saw Chris Keller kiss me."

"You kissed Chris Keller?"

"No! Dammit, Lucas, no! Chris kissed me. I pushed him away and punched him!" Telling the story, Haley noticed that her hand was actually sore. Reacting to Nathan seeing Chris kiss her and then running to find him, Haley hadn't given any thought to it. Her hand was genuinely sore, though. She had never punched anyone before. "We were skipping lunch because he had a long practice. I didn't think he was coming to the studio today."

"He got some news today, Haley. Dan is getting out of prison."

"Oh my God. No, Lucas, he's been so stressed about that! Now to see Chris kiss me on top of that. I've got to find him. Lucas, do you know where he might be?"

"No. But it's almost time to pick up Sam, right? Haley, go pick up Sam and I will look for Nathan. Stay home and I'm sure he'll be there soon. He has to be; it's game night."

Haley nodded. She could feel the salty taste of the tears that were now coming down her cheeks. "I didn't kiss Chris, Lucas."

"I know, Hales. I believe you. I'm sorry I reacted that way. I'll find him."

"Thanks, Luke."

"Just relax, Hales. I'm sure he's fine. I'll bring him home to you."

Lucas hung up the phone and grabbed his keys. He cringed when he thought of where Nathan could be. If Nathan wasn't at Haley's house or his house, Lucas could really only think of a few places he could be. Lucas hoped he wasn't there. Lucas hoped they'd gotten past that. He hoped that Nathan was just driving around, clearing his head.

* * *

Nathan sat on the bottom step, resting his elbows on his knees. He kept his head down, staring at the asphalt. He looked at the wayward patterns on the ground, seeing no rhyme, reason, or shape in it. He glanced at the bottle to his left, but looked away quickly. He looked up when something covered the sun in front of him.

"What are you doing out here?"

When the figure kneeled in front of Nathan, he again looked at the asphalt, not wanting to make eye contact. "What are you doing here?" Nathan tried to keep his voice even.

"Haley called me. She's worried sick, man."

"Luke…"

"Nate. She told me what happened." Lucas sat next to Nathan on the bottom step of Tric. The stairs were in the back and led to a back entrance of the club. Lucas got there and saw Nathan's car in the parking lot. He walked around the building, finding his brother looking completely forlorn and dejected on that bottom step. Next to him was a bottle of whiskey. As Lucas looked at it more closely, he could see that the bottle hadn't been opened yet.

"She didn't kiss him," Lucas said. They'd been sitting for a few minutes without saying a word. Lucas knew that Nathan often needed his space when it came to things like this. But they couldn't sit in silence forever and Nathan needed to get through this. He now had Haley depending him.

"I know," Nathan answered. He still wasn't looking at his brother.

"Then why did you run out on her? You know, she actually ran out of the building after you. She drove around trying to find you."

Nathan now looked at Lucas. He could see the concern etched on his brother's face. "Where is she now?"

"She had to pick up Sam. I told her that I would find you and bring you to her."

Nathan nodded and grabbed the bottle. He held it in front of him and watched the pattern that appeared on the ground from the sun hitting the liquid inside the bottle.

"Are you going to drink that?"

Nathan shook his head and set the bottle back down. "Thought about it. I have a game tonight."

Lucas continued to give Nathan his space. He knew his brother would talk when he was ready. He didn't have to wait long.

"I know she didn't kiss him. I saw him kiss her and I saw her push him away and then punch him."

Lucas laughed, his eyes squinting in the sun. "She told me she punched him. Good for her. So, why did you run if you knew that?"

Nathan ran his hand through his hair and looked at Lucas. "Because my mom called about Dan. I went to see Haley to talk to her. She's great with that stuff. Even if just to listen, she does that and I feel better. But then I got there and that asshole's hands and lips were on her. I kind of lost my head for a minute."

"You should be telling her this. I get it. About Dan. I get it, Nate. My mom called me too."

"I was going to call you," Nathan told him. "You okay?"

"Don't worry about it. I'm mostly worried about Keith and my mom. And you. I know how Dan is with you. Or, how you are with him. Don't let it get to you. Talk it out with Haley and try and have a great game tonight. You need to after last night," Lucas joked. "Besides, wouldn't it be a sort of great revenge on Dan if you went out and played great tonight and he had nothing to do with it?"

Nathan smirked. "That would be pretty great. Haley said I needed to play a great game too. Since she missed last night."

"Yeah, what happened with that? Peyton came home and said that Haley hadn't been there but she didn't know why."

Nathan felt angry again thinking about Chris. He hoped after today that he'd never have to see that punk again. "Chris thought Haley wasn't focused on work since she needed to leave. So, he broke the clock in the studio."

"He seriously did that?"

"He seriously did that. So, Haley fired his ass. I don't know what he was doing there today. She felt really bad about not being there. I'm just glad she was okay. I had no idea where she was or what happened."

"Kind of like she feels right now."

Nathan winced. "I didn't think of that."

"Well, now you have. I can't believe that guy broke the clock."

"What if she had missed picking up Sam? I'd punch him if Haley hadn't already done it."

Lucas stood up and dusted off the back of his jeans with his hands. "How about we get you home to her so you can tell her how impressed you are with her for decking that guy."

Nathan smirked thinking about it. He was impressed. He was proud. Now that he was thinking about it and looking past the anger he felt toward Keller, he thought it was kind of hot.

"She's worried, Nate."

"Yeah, let's get home."

The two brothers walked to the parking lot. Lucas walked with Nathan to his car and stood next to it while Nathan got in.

"Let me know when you get home," Lucas asked.

Nathan nodded. He went to start his car but the engine stalled. He tried again, but nothing happened. He tried a third time and this time, the car did nothing. "Uh, Luke. Think you could take a look?"

Lucas shook his head. "Nope."

"Nope? Luke, I just want to get home to my girlfriend."

"Yeah, and you bought a car that's got an electrical system. I don't know anything about those."

Nathan banged his head against the steering wheel. "Perfect."

"Don't sweat it. I'll drive you home. We'll call for a tow on the way there."

Nathan got out of his car and got into Lucas's. As he and Lucas began the drive to Haley's house, Nathan called for a tow truck.

"I should call Haley," Nathan announced after hanging up with Triple A.

"Good idea."

Nathan was about to begin dialing when it happened. He was focused on his phone. Lucas was looking forward. Neither had time to react. Within a few short seconds, everything changed.

Lucas started coming to. His vision was blurry. He could hear voices, but they sounded muffled. He tried moving his neck, but it was sore. He moved both arms, feeling for his seatbelt.

"Sir, keep still. We'll get you out of the car as soon as we can!"

"What?" Lucas wasn't sure if he'd heard correctly. He tried thinking. He was in the car. He was driving Nathan home. Nathan. Oh God, Nathan. Lucas turned his head to the right. All of a sudden, he was no longer groggy. He could see clearly, but he wished he couldn't. He saw Nathan out cold. There was blood on the left side of his face. Through the passenger window, Lucas could see the grill of an SUV.

"NATHAN!" Lucas tried again to get his seatbelt off. "Nathan, wake up!" Before the firemen surrounding the scene could stop him, Lucas had his seatbelt off. He leaned toward his brother, ignoring the pain shooting down the side of his body. He reached for his brother's shoulder, trying to get a response out of him. Nothing happened.

* * *

**Note:** Dun dun dun! So, there's that drama. And it's not over yet. Thank you again for those reviews! You guys are great. I can't believe the great response you've given me. It makes me excited to write.


	30. Chapter TwentyNine

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** You all are so great about reviewing, I shouldn't be surprised by how many the last chapter got. But I am. Wow. You guys are amazing! But, the drama isn't over. So, enjoy. :)

* * *

The firemen and EMTs had Lucas on a stretcher and away from Nathan almost as soon as he'd gotten his seatbelt off. Lucas refused to let them take him to a hospital until they had Nathan out of the car. They couldn't do that until they got the other car away, the car that was embedded into the side of Lucas's car.

"Move me, please," Lucas pleaded.

"What was that sir?" An EMT was cleaning up one of Lucas's cuts.

"I want to see what's going on with my brother."

The EMT shook his head, but he reached for the side of the stretcher and turned Lucas. "I don't think this is the best idea, sir."

Lucas ignored him. He watched as a tow truck pulled away the SUV. The front was completely smashed in from the impact of the accident. Lucas looked over and saw the driver of the other car. He was sitting on the sidewalk. Other than a few cuts and bruises, he was fine. "What happened?"

"Well, from what we can tell, the other driver ran the red light. He hit you and, well, you know what happened next."

Lucas watched as the emergency teams got Nathan out of the car. For a moment, he thought he saw Nathan move his head, but he hadn't. When they pulled Nathan out of the car, his arm dropped to his side, limp.

"He's, he's, he's breathing, right? I was about to check when you guys pulled me out. He's alive? He's…"

"He's alive, he's just unconscious. We'll get you both to the hospital and get you checked out."

"I don't need to go, I can ride with him," Lucas protested. "I'm fine."

"Sir, you were unconscious when we found you. We need to take you to the hospital to be looked over."

"Where's my phone? I need my phone. I have to call his girlfriend. I have to call my girlfriend. I have to call his mother. He has a game tonight. I have to call someone about that."

"Sir, you need to calm down," the EMT placed a firm hand on Lucas's shoulder, urging him to relax. "I know you're worried, but this isn't going to help you or your brother. You can make your phone calls after a doctor sees you."

Lucas's mind was running a mile a minute. He was thinking of so many things. He wanted Peyton. He wanted her with him. He wished he could at least call her. He knew that if he talked to her, he wouldn't have to worry about anything else. He thought about the promise he made to Haley. He told her that he would bring Nathan home to her. Now what was she doing? Was she sitting at home with Sam and waiting? She was probably still worried sick. Nathan was just about to call her when they were hit. Lucas had just remembered that. He remembered Nathan calling for a tow truck and then going to call Haley.

* * *

"Hey you!" Peyton got excited whenever she saw Lucas's name on her caller ID. She loved hearing from him. He was a thoughtful guy who would often call just to tell her to have a good day. He'd already called earlier in the day and he was going to Nathan's game that night. Peyton was surprised, but happy to see him calling again.

"Peyton."

The happiness Peyton had felt when she saw Lucas was calling dissipated. She could hear the fear in his voice even though he'd only said one word.

"Lucas, what is it?"

"Peyton, there was an accident."

"Are you okay?" Peyton quickly rose from her chair and grabbed her purse. She was ready to run out the door and go wherever Lucas told her that he was. She looked at Brooke, who had been doing work on the Red Bedroom floor. When she heard Peyton's tone, Brooke immediately went to her.

"I'm okay. I saw a doctor and I'm okay."

Peyton closed her eyes and lifted her head. "Okay, good. You can't scare me like that, Lucas Scott!"

"Peyton, it's Nathan. He was in the car with me. Peyton, he's hurt. It's bad. The doctors are in there with him, but he was unconscious when I came to."

"You were unconscious?"

"Peyton, I'm fine. But I was taking Nathan back to Haley's house. She was expecting us."

"You haven't called her?"

"No. I called you. I haven't called anyone else. I wanted to call you."

"I'll go get Haley and have Brooke watch Sam. I love you, Lucas."

"I love you too."

Lucas hung up the phone and sank into one of the chairs next to the bed in the cubicle he was in. He looked at his arm. It had needed several stitches, but the doctor had cleaned him up quickly. A nurse was now checking in on him constantly. He had a concussion and wasn't allowed to sleep for the next several hours. That wasn't going to be a problem. Lucas was too worried about Nathan to go to sleep. When he needed to call Peyton he didn't need to worry about waiting. Now, all he had to do was to wait. He had to wait for Peyton to get there. He had to wait for Nathan to wake up. He had to wait for Deb to call him back. She hadn't answered her phone, so now he was waiting for her to call him back.

* * *

Peyton and Brooke drove to Haley's house in complete silence. Peyton had told Brooke everything that Lucas had told her. Brooke would be staying with Sam while Haley and Peyton went to the hospital to be with Nathan and Lucas. When they got in the car, Peyton had the radio on. News had already broken about Nathan Scott being in a car accident and his condition being unknown. Brooke and Peyton both hoped that Haley hadn't turned on the TV.

Brooke still didn't know what happened that made Haley run out of the office earlier, other than that it had to do with Chris Keller. Peyton had explained what happened with the clock, but Haley seemed bothered by something more than that the last time Brooke had seen her.

"Haley!" Brooke tried to keep her voice as normal as possible as she and Peyton let themselves into Haley's house.

"We're in here!" Haley's voice was coming from the living room. Peyton and Brooke walked in there to find her and Sam on the floor. A large jigsaw puzzle was laid out in front of them. A small portion of it was done. Haley and Sam were sitting right next to each other. They were each putting pieces together, trying to find which ones fit where.

"What's up?" Haley looked up at them. They had known Haley for so long that they could tell when she was fine and when she was pretending to be fine. Right now, she was pretending to be fine. Seeing the looks on Peyton and Brooke's face, Haley dropped the pretense.

"Haley, I need to talk to you for a minute. Brooke will help Sam with his puzzle," Peyton said.

Without a word, Haley stood up. She followed Peyton into the hallway, not sure she wanted to hear whatever it was Peyton was going to say to her. The two women stopped in the middle of the darkened hallway. Haley crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

"Peyton, what's going on?"

"Lucas called. He was with Nathan and there was an accident." Peyton thought about how to break the news to Haley on the drive over there. She decided that it was best to just say it. Haley was strong. She could handle a lot.

Haley felt her heart drop. She could literally feel the color draining from her face. Her eyes went wide and she stood up straight, no longer leaning on the wall. "What kind of accident?"

Peyton could barely hear Haley's voice, it was so low. She looked down the hall and could hear Brooke and Sam playing in the other room. "It was a car accident. Lucas didn't say much, but Nathan was unconscious when Lucas called."

Haley brought her hand to cover her mouth, trying to stop herself from crying. "He was unconscious?"

Peyton nodded. "I came right over here. Brooke is going to watch Sam so that we can go to the hospital."

Haley nodded her head. "Let me just, give me a minute." Haley turned to face the wall and tried to collect herself. She couldn't leave without saying something to Sam, but she couldn't let him see her like this. She wiped away the tears that were threatening to fall. Standing up straight, correcting her posture, Haley walked into the living room. She kneeled down next to Sam.

"Hey, buddy. Mommy and Aunt Peyton have to go do something. Aunt Brooke is going to stay with you."

"Okay, mommy." Sam looked at his mother. Something wasn't right. He didn't know what it was, but it wasn't the way it was supposed to be. He did the only thing he could think of and wrapped his tiny arms around Haley's neck.

Getting a hug from her son nearly broke Haley, but she kept herself together. She kissed him on the cheek and looked at Brooke. "His dinner is in the oven. It should be done in five minutes. All you have to do is put it on a plate."

"No problem. We've got it covered," Brooke assured her.

"Thank you, Brooke. For-"

"Don't worry about it," Brooke cut Haley off. "Just go. We'll be fine."

Haley nodded and kissed Sam again before she and Peyton left.

* * *

Peyton pulled into the parking structure at the hospital. When she and Haley walked to the entrance, about half dozen photographers were standing at the door. Photographers at Los Angeles area hospitals weren't anything new, but Haley didn't want or need to deal with them now.

"We'll just walk in and ignore them," Peyton stated.

Haley didn't respond. She ducked her head and walked straight ahead. The paparazzi were just in the way. She had more important things to worry about than them being in her face and taking her picture. She needed to get to Nathan. On the way there, she was praying that Nathan was awake. She prayed that in the time between Peyton talking to Lucas and her getting there that he'd woken up. As they passed by the paparazzo, Haley vaguely heard them shout questions at her. They asked how Nathan was. She didn't say a word. She stayed focused on getting inside and getting to Nathan.

Haley let Peyton lead the way. She knew where they were going. Lucas had given her instructions. When they got to the emergency room, they found Lucas in the hallway, talking to a doctor. Peyton ran up to him and hugged him. She'd stayed strong since Lucas called. She wanted to be there for Haley. Peyton, unlike Haley, knew that the man she loved was healthy and alive. Haley didn't know what was going on. But, holding Lucas, seeing the stitches on his arm and the cuts on his face, Peyton let a few tears fall. She murmured I love yous to him softly.

The doctor Lucas had been talking to cleared his throat. Lucas and Peyton pulled apart, but still held each other.

"Doctor, this is my girlfriend Peyton and this is Haley. She's Nathan's girlfriend. Guys, this is one of Nathan's doctors. He was just updating me."

Haley looked at the doctor. He had a surgical cap and scrubs on. A surgical mask was dangling from his neck. Haley felt the hope she had of Nathan being awake when she got there disappear. She could tell that this doctor had been in surgery. Nathan wasn't awake yet. She could feel it.

"I'm Dr. Wood. When Nathan was brought in, we were attempting to stabilize him, but there was some internal bleeding caused by the impact of the crash."

A few tears fell down Haley's face.

"Lucas gave us permission as his next of kin to operate. The surgery is going well. We're almost done controlling the bleeding. Once he's out, Lucas can go in and sit with him. It's up to Nathan when he's going to wake up though."

"Haley can sit with him," Lucas told the doctor.

"You're his next of kin," the doctor protested.

"Doc, Haley's going to be the one to sit with him. If Nathan wakes up and finds me there instead of Haley, he'll be upset. Trust me. He wants Haley there more than anyone else."

"Do you know when he might wake up?" Haley found her voice, but barely. She hated hospitals. She had such bad memories of hospitals. She tried avoiding them at all costs, but sometimes it was necessary. The cold, sterile feel of the hospital and the smell of the bleach and cleansers used in the place reminded her of waking up alone in the emergency room the night she'd been raped. She had wanted comfort. She wanted to feel safe and at home. Before she even remembered what happened to her, she knew she wanted to feel safe and at home. That wasn't possible in a hospital. The bright lights, the smell, the hospital staff walking around in scrubs. It was all a reminder that with the exception of child birth, you come to a hospital because something is wrong. Giving birth to Sam in a hospital hadn't helped her feelings toward them. After she gave birth, she left and went home as soon as she could.

Dr. Wood shook his head. "That's often up to the patient. He's strong and he's young, so I don't think it should be too long. But I don't want to tell you he'll wake up right away and have you disappointed. Sometimes these things take time.

"I know," Haley whispered. "Thank you, Doctor."

"I'm going to get back in there. I'll come and talk to you when the surgery is over."

When the doctor had left, Haley turned to Lucas and gave him a small smile. It was as much as she could manage. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Lucas promised her.

"Lucas, what happened?"

"We should go in here where it's private." Lucas led the women into the room he'd been in. He hadn't told them yet that he hadn't been discharged.

"You've got to sign my discharge papers, Peyton," Lucas told her.

"You have been discharged yet?"

Lucas shook his head and took a seat on the edge of the hospital bed. Peyton sat down next to him while Haley stood by the window and started at the trees just outside. "I have a concussion. They need to have someone sign for me and promise not to let me sleep for a few hours."

"You didn't tell me you have a concussion."

"I'm fine, Peyton. I promise."

Peyton linked her arm with his, trying to get closer to him.

"I went looking for him, Haley. Like I told you I would. I found him and we were on our way to your house. Nathan's car wouldn't start, so I was driving him. Some guy ran a red. He was about to call you and tell you we were on our way when we got hit. I'm sorry, Haley, I didn't even see the guy coming!"

"Lucas, I know that. I know if you had seen the other car, you would have done what you could to stop it."

"I was knocked out and when I came to there were firemen and EMTs all around. Nathan was unconscious. I tried to check on him but they pulled me out of the car. That other car, it hit the passenger side. So, Nathan got most of the impact."

More tears were now falling down Haley's face and she kept facing the window, trying to hide from Lucas and Peyton. Through her tears, she asked, "Did you call Deb?"

"Yeah, I talked to her right before you got here. She heard about it on the news. I guess it's all over the press now."

"There were photographers out there when we got here," Peyton informed him.

"Just what we all need right now," Lucas said, ironically. "I told Deb I would call her when he's out of surgery. She's ready to jump on the next plane."

Haley laughed without amusement. "Mine were too when-," Haley stopped when she realized what she was about to say.

Peyton realized what Haley was thinking about and got the conversation back to Nathan. "Why did you have to go look for him? What happened?"

Lucas and Haley exchanged a look. Now that they were talking about what happened earlier and not the accident, Haley was able to actually look at Lucas and Peyton. Haley leaned against the wall and bit her lip.

"Chris Keller came by the studio today," Haley began. "He kissed me. Nathan saw it and he ran off. I went looking for him and couldn't find him, so I called Lucas."

"That son of a bitch! Chris Keller kissed you? I could punch that guy!"

"Haley already took care of that," Lucas smiled.

"Seriously?" Peyton looked impressed.

"He cornered me and he wouldn't stop. I pushed him off of me and then I punched him," Haley explained.

"Nice work, Foxy."

"Nathan sure was impressed," Lucas added. "We talked about it when I found him." Lucas noticed that Haley's expression changed. It became more grave at the mention of Nathan and what they'd been talking about before the accident. "He'll be okay."

"You don't know that."

"He's got too much to lose, Haley. He's got you and he's got Sam. When he gets out of surgery, you'll sit with him and talk to him. He'll hear you and know you're there and he'll wake up. I believe that with everything in me, Haley."

Haley nodded once, then looked out the window again. The sun was setting. The three of them waited in that room. Peyton turned on the TV for a while, trying to find something to distract them. That didn't last long. The only thing on was the evening news. The reports were filled with speculation about Nathan. Images of Haley and Peyton walking into the hospital played along with the story. So far, they had no concrete information. Lucas had suggested they not say anything until Nathan woke up. Eventually, the Laker game came on, but none of them felt like watching it. They knew Nathan was supposed to be on that court. Now, even if he woke up, he wouldn't be playing anymore this season. He wouldn't be fully recovered enough from the accident to play the rest of the season since there wasn't much of it left.

Peyton signed Lucas's papers not long after they got there. The hospital allowed them to stay in the room since it was a slow night. It was two hours after Haley and Peyton got there that the doctor came back in to tell them that Nathan's surgery was over.

Lucas knew how much Nathan loved Haley. He had been thinking about the conversation he'd had with Deb when she had visited a few months earlier. Nathan and Haley may have only been dating for just over six months, but Lucas knew that it was only a matter of time before Haley was the one listed as Nathan's next of kin. Because of this, when Dr. Wood came back in, Lucas stood behind Haley. Dr. Wood seemed to understand what was going on, because against his better judgment, he spoke mostly to Haley.

"The surgery went well," he began. "We stopped the bleeding. He's in recovery, but they'll be moving him into his own room soon. Once he's there, you can sit with him. Now, we stopped the bleeding. He had a gash on his forehead that we stitched up and there are numerous little cuts on his face, as well as some bruising, so don't let that shock you when you see him. We did that, but we may not know the full extent of his injuries until he wakes up. Once he wakes up, he should be fine. He needs to wake up to be out of the woods."

"Thank you, Doctor Wood," Haley said.

"Lucas, we'll need you to sign a few forms. The nurse can take care of that. I understand you've been given your walking papers?"

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm staying here though. Until he wakes up."

While Lucas was signing papers, a nurse came in and took Haley to the room Nathan would be in. Haley sat in the chair, but as soon as she sat she stood up. She wasn't sure what she should do while she was waiting. She was told it would be at least another fifteen minutes before they brought Nathan in. Haley got her phone out.

"Haley, how is he?" Brooke was whispering.

"Is Sam asleep?"

"Sound. We read a story and he was out like a light."

"Nathan was in surgery. He had some internal bleeding. I'm waiting right now for them to bring him to his room. I wanted to check on Sam."

"We're good here, Haley. He's fine. I'll stay here as long as you need me to. Just stay with Nathan all night, okay?"

"When Sam wakes up, though." Haley was genuinely torn. She wanted to be there for Nathan. She didn't want to leave his side now that she'd come close to losing him. She still felt a bit like she might lose him. Sam always came first.

"Haley, you do everything for Sam but he's fine. Be with Nathan right now."

"Thanks, Brooke."

"Don't mention it."

Haley went and stood by the window after talking to Brooke. She knew she had only been standing there a short time, but when they wheeled Nathan's bed in, it felt like she had been standing there for hours. Haley stood back as she watched the nurses get him settled. She tried to fight back tears again as she saw him. The doctor had warned her, but that didn't prepare her. Her Nathan was strong and vital. The Nathan she saw flat on his back in a hospital bed was pale. The gash the doctor had mentioned was on his forehead, looking ugly and mean. The right side of his face did have cuts and bruises on it.

The nurses left Haley, smiling as they walked out. Haley moved a chair closer to the bed and sat looking at Nathan. That wasn't close enough. She didn't want to hurt Nathan, but she couldn't help herself. She placed her hand on his cheek and put her forehead to his. "I love you," she whispered. "Please wake up. Come back to me." Haley settled into the chair, now closer to Nathan's bed. She took his hand, which had an IV tube in it. She put her head on the bed, keeping Nathan's hand in hers.

"We've had a rough day," Haley told Nathan. "You especially. I'm really sorry about Chris. I'm sorry it happened because if it hadn't, you wouldn't have run out. Then Lucas wouldn't have needed to find you and this wouldn't have happened. Now we're both missing your game.

"The game started a while ago. We had it on for a few minutes, but let me tell you, mister, basketball isn't very exciting without you playing it. You can't play it if you don't wake up. So, I need you to do that for me. You've got to wake up, Nathan.

"You know, we're supposed to be going on vacation in a few weeks. How can we go on vacation if you sleep through it? I know the point is to relax, but you're taking it a little far."

Haley just kept talking and talking. She said anything that was on her mind. She even tried joking with him to get him to wake up. She wanted nothing more in that moment than for him to open his eyes.

"I was supposed to see my doctor today," she told him. "I had an appointment after Chris stopped by the studio. I was going to see about going on birth control."

Well, that didn't work. It was a stretch, but Haley sort of hoped that if Nathan heard she was planning on making love to him that maybe that would be incentive for him to open his eyes.

"I didn't kiss Chris. I don't want Chris. I want you. I love you, Nathan Scott. I need you. You're in my life and now I know I can't have you out of it. Always and forever."

Haley pushed back a few strands of his hair. It really was getting long, but he had decided not to cut it during the playoffs. A few strands had been resting on his forehead. They weren't in the way, but it gave Haley to opportunity to be with Nathan and to feel his skin underneath her fingertips.

"Haley." His voice was quiet, weak, and strained but to Haley's ears it was so clear. She looked from Nathan's forehead to his eyes. She saw them flutter open. She saw his blue eyes, looking tired but still open.

"Oh, God, Nathan!" Haley didn't try to stop the tears that came. All night, she hadn't broken down and sobbed; she was trying to hold it in. Not now. Relief washed over her and the tears just came.

"I know you didn't kiss him. I'm sorry I ran," Nathan said, his voice hoarse.

"I was so scared. I love you so much, Nathan."

"I love you too. Always and forever."

Nathan looked around. One light above his bed was on and the rest of the room was dark. He noticed the generic landscape painting on the wall opposite him. He searched his mind, trying to remember what happened. It came back to him as he thought harder.

"Lucas. What happened with Lucas?" Nathan tried to sit up, but Haley stopped him.

"He's fine. He's fine, Nathan. He's outside with Peyton. Some cuts, bruises, and a concussion, but he's fine. We're all just worried about you."

Haley couldn't help herself and leaned in to hug Nathan. She brought her arms around his neck and held him close. When she noticed that she was awkwardly leaning on his leg, she got up. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I was on your leg. I don't want to hurt you."

"I didn't feel that," Nathan confessed.

"Are you sure? I had most of my weight on you."

"I felt you on my arm, but not on my leg."

"Oh, maybe I wasn't leaning on you as much as I thought."

Nathan tried sitting up again. Haley went to stop him, but he insisted. He hoisted himself up. He realized that while he was aware of his upper body being sore, he couldn't feel any discomfort in his legs. Panic washed over him. Nathan tried to move his legs, his feet, his toes, anything.

"Haley," Nathan's voice was panicked. "I can't feel my legs."

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**Note: **I don't know when the next chapter will be ready, but I'll try and have it out quickly. Thank you again for reading and reviewing!


	31. Chapter Thirty

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Well, there's a chance you're not going to like the direction of this, judging from some of your reviews. You've stuck with me through thirty chapters, though, so I hope you'll trust me. We're getting to some good places and we need to go to some bumpy places to get there. Again, thank you for the reviews! We're almost at four hundred, so thank you!

* * *

_**Tree Hill – Seven Years Earlier**_

He watched as the ball sailed through the hoop. Normally, the act of throwing the ball into the hoop brought him satisfaction. It brought him peace. Especially this hoop, with its chain link net and ancient backboard. It was barely held together. He thought off and on throughout the years that one intense slam dunk would bring the thing down. It held up, though. It was steadfast. That was one of the reasons it brought him peace.

One of the other reasons was the location. Situated right next to the Cape Fear River, he could hear the water. Water was always a soothing sound. During the day, river boats made their way through the water. At night, the lights of Tree Hill bounced off of the water's surface. It was one of his favorite places in the world. He often came there with his friends. They were a small group, but close. They weren't popular in high school, even though he was on the varsity basketball team. But that didn't matter. It wasn't what any of them wanted.

He tossed the ball into the net again. The net clinked and clanged as the ball sailed through it. He turned around and looked toward the river before the ball hit the ground. He turned when he didn't hear the ball hit the ground, finding it suspicious.

"I thought you weren't supposed to play."

Lucas shrugged. "This isn't exactly getting my heart rate up." Lucas stayed rooted in his spot, unsure of how he should proceed. As far as he knew, Nathan had never been to the River Court. The two of them barely talked. When Lucas first joined the Ravens, he and Nathan had exchanged a few words. After a few lost games and being yelled at by their coach, the two had stopped fighting. They didn't get a long; they still didn't like each other, but they weren't fighting. Their relationship was more like an alliance. It was what the team needed so they could win.

"What are you doing here?" Lucas guessed that his younger brother had to be there for a reason. He had a fair idea of what that reason might be. After what had happened that day, what else could it be? He waited for Nathan to answer, but no response came. Lucas had learned from playing on the same team with Nathan that when he had a problem, Nathan thought about it. He needed time to think about it. On a basketball court, Nathan knew exactly what to do. It was instinctual. Off of it, though, he needed time. Lucas could plainly see that this was one of those times.

Instead of answering, Nathan turned to the hoop and threw the ball in. It was effortless. He'd done this a thousand times. Possibly a million. It was all thanks to his father. Thanks to Dan Scott, Nathan had trained relentlessly for years. His father had drilled into his head that he had to be the best he could be. Dan was always quick to tell Nathan that he wasn't as good as he could be. A part of Nathan thought that it helped. His dad was just trying to help him, even if he didn't do it in the kindest way. As Nathan got older, he realized that Dan was bitter. He saw that Nathan had the ability to achieve something that Dan couldn't. So, he made his life miserable. Nathan thought he was probably a better basketball player because of it, but he would have loved it if he had a father who had supported him.

He had watched Lucas at their games. He had watched how supportive Karen and Keith were. Nathan thought at first that he just found it annoying. The past few months, with everything that had happened, he realized that he was annoyed by jealous. When the team lost, Keith and Karen told Lucas that he had done his best. Even if he hadn't, they were there to reassure him and tell him that they knew it would be better next time. If the Ravens lost a game, Dan seemed to take pleasure in berating Nathan.

Nathan shot the ball into the net several more times. He walked toward the net, catching the ball in his hands. He looked at it, studying the texture of the orange leather. "How is he? Keith, I mean."

Lucas walked over to the picnic table by the side of the court and sat down, resting his elbows on his knees. He looked at the overcast sky. He could feel the moisture in the air from the humidity making his shirt stick to him. He shrugged. "He still loves Dan."

Nathan's head jerked up. He wasn't expecting to hear that. "Why?" Really, why? Dan had shot Keith in cold blood. He wanted to kill his older brother because he wanted Karen. Nathan thought about the jealousy that his father must have felt toward his brother. It made him think about the jealousy that he felt toward his own older brother. Lucas wasn't dating a girl that Nathan wanted. Not like Keith was dating Karen, who Dan was in love with. But Lucas had the father figure that Nathan longed for. Nathan couldn't imagine letting that jealousy take over him. Because of that jealousy, Dan Scott would now be spending years in prison. He had been sentenced earlier that day.

Again, Lucas shrugged. "They're still brothers. I guess Keith still remembers that Dan wasn't always like this. At least, that's what he told me?"

"You talked about this?" Nathan took a hesitant step closer to Lucas. He looked at him. His own older brother. They didn't get along, but he could never want him dead. He was actually an okay guy.

"He once told me after, well, after we watched Dan yelling at you after a game." Lucas noticed Nathan wince. "He told me that Dan wasn't always like that. He said that when they were kids, he could be pretty sweet. Then their dad got to him. Basketball. Keith wasn't good at it, so he figures that's why Royal ignored him."

Nathan decided to sit next to Lucas. Without noticing it, he sat with his elbows resting on his knees, mimicking the posture of his brother.

They sat in silence. Neither one knew what to say. They'd never had a real conversation together. Nathan set the ball down on the table behind him before resuming his previous position. "I'm sorry," he finally said.

Lucas looked at Nathan. He studied his face. In the time they played on the team together, Lucas had learned to read Nathan pretty well. Nathan was dead serious. Lucas could see that. He just wasn't sure what Nathan was apologizing for. "For what?"

Nathan looked up at Lucas, then focused on his own hands. "For being an ass. For trying to make your life hell. For letting Dan, well, be Dan, I guess."

"You mean turning us into enemies and playing us against each other?"

"Yeah. That. I'm sorry. Listen, I'm not really good at this whole apologizing thing, I've just been thinking a lot lately. I shouldn't have done that to you. I didn't even know you and I treated you like crap."

Lucas nodded and held out his hand toward Nathan. "Accepted."

Nathan slowly moved his hand and shook his brother's.

"Maybe you aren't so bad," Lucas joked.

"Maybe you aren't either."

"I've got this friend," Lucas began. "She lives in Charlotte and I see her every summer when I visit my grandparents. We go to book club together. I told her about you once and she said that maybe if I gave you a chance, you might end up not being so bad."

Nathan wasn't sure how to respond to that. He had a few fleeting moments where he figured that maybe if it wasn't for Dan that he and Lucas might get along. If Dan wasn't interfering, maybe he would find that his brother and he had some things in common. He knew they had the game in common. Nathan had been shocked earlier in the year, their last year as Ravens, when Lucas had been diagnosed with the same heart condition their father had. He just didn't know how to tell Lucas that he'd thought the same thing.

"So, you dating this girl?" Nathan decided to resort to small talk. That would be safe. That would probably be a good way to get to know Lucas, too.

Lucas shook his head. "No, she's just a good friend."

"How does that work?" Nathan had never been good friends with a girl. He couldn't comprehend how it could be done.

"I don't know. She's just more like a sister."

Again, the two brothers sat without saying a word. The silence was becoming less and less awkward, though. They both noticed it.

"I wouldn't do that to you," Nathan told him.

"Do what?" Lucas noticed that sometimes when Nathan spoke, he didn't say everything.

"Shoot you."

Lucas laughed. "I didn't think you would, but thanks."

Nathan leaned back, resting his palms on the wooden table. "Why did you think I wouldn't do that?"

"Because you did what Dan could never do. You may not have liked me, but you put the team first. Or at least you put the game first. And you came here to apologize. Dan would have never done that."

"I never want to be like him," Nathan admitted. He'd been thinking it more and more in the past two years. He started thinking of it more when he saw Lucas and Keith together. That was when he realized that things didn't have to be the way they were.

"Then don't," Lucas shrugged.

"Like it's that easy."

"You came here to apologize to me, Nathan. You're already on your way there. And if you're ever conflicted, ask yourself what Dan Scott would do. Then do the opposite."

Nathan laughed. It felt nice being able to laugh with Lucas. It wasn't something that he expected.

"How did it feel? When you found out you couldn't play anymore," Nathan elaborated.

Lucas sighed. "I was never going to play pro ball. I love the game. I love it so much. It took a while to accept that I couldn't play like I used to. I mean, I played fine for years when I didn't know that I had HCM. I almost wish I never found out. Then I remembered that there was something that I wanted to do more."

"What's that?"

"Write. I'm actually writing a novel. I've been doing that for a while now."

"You're, you're writing a book?" Nathan knew Lucas liked to read. There was always a book in his locker in the gym. Nathan used to scoff at his nerd brother. "That's cool."

Again, the two sat in silence. Not a trace of awkwardness remained.

"I'm thinking of quitting."

Lucas sat up straight and looked at Nathan. "Basketball?"

Nathan nodded.

"Why?"

"I don't want to be Dan. He's been pushing me my entire life. For as long as I can remember, he's been telling me to work and be my best. And when I thought I was doing my best, he'd tell me that I wasn't good enough. I just don't want that anymore."

"You have a scholarship to Duke. You're a great player, Nathan." Lucas waited for Nathan to reply, but he didn't. "Stand up."

"What?"

"Stand up." Lucas grabbed the ball from the table and walked to the middle of the court.

"What are you doing? You're not supposed to play."

"I can play a game of one on one with you. If you're quitting, then maybe you aren't the player I thought you were. If that's true, then it's not like I'm going to wear myself out."

That was it. Nathan knew he couldn't back down from that challenge. So, he met Lucas in the middle of the court and the two played. They played for so long, they completely lost track of time. When they both stopped, standing in the middle of the court out of breath and drenched in sweat, they both had smiles on their faces.

"Now, I've got some questions for you," Lucas said. "What's the score?"

Nathan thought and began counting. "I don't know, actually."

"Right. Did you have fun?"

Again, Nathan thought. "Yeah, yeah I did."

"Okay, so what if it was like that? Yeah, Duke's going to be a lot of hard work. But don't back down from that. Do this on your terms. Not Dan's. And remember, it's called a game because it's fun."

"It's called a game because it's fun? That's pretty corny, man."

"It's fun, though, right? Play to have fun. Remember that you love the game and not just that you were pushed into it by Dan. At least give it a semester."

"That was fun," Nathan confessed.

* * *

_**Present Day**_

"How is he? I came straight from the airport," Deb huffed, slightly out of breath. She found Lucas and Peyton in the hallway at the hospital. It was early in the morning and she must have caught the quickest flight she could to have made it so quickly.

"He's in with the doctor and Haley," Lucas answered.

"Is he awake?"

"Yeah. He woke up after they brought him into recovery."

"You've seen him since then?"

"No. Haley told us. She's been in with him. I thought she should be in there with him."

"Okay. Okay. How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"He's got a concussion and stitches," Peyton answered. "He's been downplaying it."

"This is about Nathan," Lucas responded.

"Lucas, what happened?"

Lucas ran through the events of the accident for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. He told Deb exactly what had happened. He told her about Nathan's surgery and the internal bleeding. He told her that Dr. Wood had said that once Nathan woke up, he should be fine.

Deb was obviously relieved to hear this. She knew that her son was awake, so she assumed that meant he would be okay. "I have a rental car and my things. I came straight here. I'll check into a hotel as soon as I see Nathan."

"Deb, you know you can stay at Nathan's house," Lucas told her.

"He's going through a lot right now. I didn't want to bother him."

"I don't think it would bother him," Peyton added. "He's barely there."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he stays with Haley and Sam most of the time," Lucas answered. "He practically lives there."

Deb smiled. It was nice knowing that her son was settling down with a good woman.

* * *

"Now, from what we can tell," Dr. Wood explained, "the paralysis is temporary. The angle you were hit at during the accident caused it. The feeling should gradually come back. Once that happens, we'll start talking about rehabilitating your knee."

"His knee?" Haley was sitting next to Nathan, holding his hand. When he said that he couldn't feel his legs, she had immediately called for the nurse. The nurse went to get the doctor. Dr. Wood examined Nathan after his recovery. Everything seemed to be normal except for the fact that he couldn't move his legs. Now that Nathan was awake, Dr. Wood was explaining the extent of his injuries to him and to Haley.

"His knee was shattered in the accident. The right one. When the other car hit you. It'll take some rehabilitation, but you should walk just fine after that."

Nathan noticed that the doctor didn't mention that he'd be playing basketball just fine after that. Right now, all he could think about was that he was supposed to have played in the playoffs that night. Now he couldn't feel his legs and once he did, he wouldn't be able to walk right away.

"What about basketball?" Nathan's voice was still hoarse and tired.

"Well, that's uncertain right now. That depends on how well your knee recovers. I'm sorry, Nathan, but at least for this season, you're not going to be playing."

"The way your knee shattered, you might be able to play, Nathan. But it won't be at the level that you were." When Dr. Wood had come in, he brought with him another doctor. This doctor had been standing in the background as Dr. Wood spoke, but now he stepped forward.

"This is Mitchell Stuart. He's a physical therapist. He'll be helping you with your knee," Dr. Wood explained.

Haley looked at Nathan. She could see the fear in his eyes. He loved playing basketball. It had been his dream for so long. She knew how exhilarated he looked when he was on the court. He couldn't lose it. "We'd like a second opinion. No offense," Haley said.

"None taken," Mitchell Stuart said. "A second opinion is always a good idea. You can call in your own doctor. We have several on staff here. Or, you could call in one of the team doctors."

Haley nodded. "We'll do that."

"That's basically all we have for you right now. We'll leave you two," Dr. Wood excused them. "Should we let your brother come in? I saw that he was waiting outside."

"Whatever," Nathan said.

Haley grimaced at Nathan's response. She knew this was going to be difficult on him. This was going to be the hardest thing he would ever have to do. She had faith in him. When they were alone in the room, Haley stood up and kissed Nathan. He responded, but half-heartedly.

"Listen to me," she kept her forehead to his. "Listen to me. I know you're scared. I know that. But we're going to get a second opinion. Whatever that doctor tells us, you're going to be okay, Nathan. You're alive. You're alive. We're going to get your knee rehabilitated and you'll be able to play again. It's not going to be easy, but you'll have me with you through every single step. I'm here with you. Always and forever. I love you."

Nathan nodded in response. He was trying to process everything. If he couldn't play basketball, then who was he? Basketball had defined his life. He was Nathan Scott, basketball player. It's who he had always been. In Tree Hill, he had been known by everyone in town because he was so good. He was known for leading the Ravens to a state championship. Who was he without basketball? He wasn't smart. He didn't know how to do anything else. When Lucas had to give up the game, he had his writing to turn to. Nathan had nothing.

When he considered giving up basketball after Dan had been sentenced, he had thought about what he could do. The problem was that without basketball, he wouldn't have gotten into college. So, now he was a professional basketball player with a degree in business. But the degree meant very little. He paid little attention in class and only did what he needed to get by. He had no idea how to put his degree to use. He didn't think he'd ever need to. What was he supposed to do if he couldn't play basketball?

He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice when three people walked into the room. He was still deep in thought when his mother walked to his bedside and hugged him.

"I flew right out," she explained. "I'm so relieved you're okay."

"I'm sorry, Nate," Lucas said. "I didn't see that car coming."

Lucas waited for an answer. He was used to this with Nathan.

"I want to be alone," he finally said.

Lucas, Peyton, and Deb all exchanged looks.

"Okay," Deb was the first to speak. "We'll give you some space." She turned to leave the room, Peyton and Lucas following her.

Haley remained. She was now seated on the edge of Nathan's bed. She held one of his hands, the other was wrapped around his broad shoulders.

"Haley. I want to be alone."

It hurt to hear it, but Haley could understand needing your space when you just found out devastating news. She understood needing time to think. She kissed his temple and whispered, "I love you." She left him in his room, alone with his thoughts.

Haley walked out of the room and leaned against the door after closing it.

"Haley, what happened?"

Deb was in Haley's face, demanding answers. She didn't meant to be so abrasive, but she couldn't help it.

"He can't feel his legs," Haley whispered. Her eyes were closed and a few tears were falling. "The doctor said it would be temporary. He'll regain feeling during the next few days. But the impact of the other car shattered his knee. He might not ever play again," she revealed.

"This is my fault," Lucas muttered. "I should have been paying closer attention."

"Don't," Peyton ordered. "Don't start playing the blame game. The other driver even admitted that he ran that red light because he was late. He's the one that didn't see you. If we're assigning blame, it could go around."

"What do you mean?" Deb was mostly in the dark.

"It's been a rough day," Peyton said. She didn't want to go into details. Deb didn't need to know that Chris had kissed Haley, that Nathan had seen it, and then that he had run off. "Hales, you should go home."

"What?" Haley opened her eyes and looked at Peyton. "I'm not leaving."

"Haley, you're exhausted. Go home to Sam. Brooke and Julian are with him now, but go home to him. You know you feel better when you're with Sam."

"This isn't about me." She looked at the three of them. They were all in shock. They looked lost. She couldn't take it. They were all thinking the same thing. They were all devastated on Nathan's behalf. Without a word, she turned around and walked back into Nathan's room.

"I don't think you should be alone," she told him.

When she walked in, he had looked right up. He wasn't surprised. He hadn't doubted her when she told him that she would be with him through everything.

Haley didn't wait for him to answer. She walked over to his bed and scooted herself between him and the bar on the side, careful not to lay on him.

"I know you said you wanted to be alone. But, Nathan, I know that sometimes you need to be alone and think when something bad happens. But I also know that sometimes, the only way you get through it is to have the people who love you around you and helping you through things."

He couldn't argue with her. He didn't feel strong enough to argue with her. He knew that she knew what she was talking about. She'd been through something traumatic and she had survived it. She was strong. He didn't know her back then, but he was sure that she came through her rape stronger than she was before. Knowing her like he did, he couldn't imagine it any other way.

He couldn't argue with her, but he didn't respond. He let her snuggle up to him and lazily lay her arm across his stomach.

As she closed her eyes, he couldn't stop himself from thinking that soon she'd realize that he wasn't the same man that he was yesterday. He wasn't the same man that she loved. He didn't know who he was now.

As Haley drifted off to sleep, Nathan tried moving his leg underneath the covers. He focused. He thought hard. He put all of his energy into moving his leg. If not his leg, then maybe his foot. If not his foot, then maybe his toe. He wanted a sign. He wanted something to tell him that he could still be the man that was worthy of this woman who put herself in his arms.

Here he was, helpless and feeling like nothing, but she still placed herself in his arms. He knew she felt secure there, she had told him that. He was now going to focus on trying to be the man who could make her secure. He didn't want to be the shell of a man he believed he'd be if he couldn't play anymore.

He would wait for that second opinion. The team doctor dealt with injured players all the time. He probably knew more than that Mitchell Stuart whether or not Nathan would play again. What did Mitchell Stuart know? How many athletes had he worked with? A second opinion would turn things around. Then he could get to work on being who Haley saw him as.

* * *

**Note:** Remember, I've mentioned since they first started going out that Nathan doesn't think he deserves Haley. This story has been so much about Haley's journey of healing from her rape and Nathan's part in that. We're not done with that, but we're now dealing with Nathan's insecurities. He's been a little too perfect in this story so far, it's time to acknowledge his short comings and his insecurities. Thank you for reading and for going on the journey of this story with me. :)

Sidenote. Has anyone seen the previews for that movie Life as We Know It? That seems like it would make a good Naley story, don't you think?


	32. Chapter ThirtyOne

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** I am so sorry it took me so long to update this! This chapter was difficult. I am super grateful for your reviews. :)

* * *

Right before waking up, Haley always held Nathan closer. No matter what position they woke up in, before she fully awoke and opened her eyes, she would get herself as close as she possibly could to him. Now, in the tiny hospital bed where both had fallen asleep, she wrapped her arm more tightly around his torso and snaked her leg over his. She moved her head closer to the center of his chest. She yawned and her eyes fluttered open. The room was dimly lit by a fluorescent light in the corner of the room. She lifted her head and looked around, forgetting where she was. When she realized they were in a hospital room, the events of the previous day came flooding back in.

From where she was positioned, she could feel Nathan breathing, a fact with brought her a great deal of relief. She looked up at him and noticed that his eyes were wide open. He was staring off into space, but he looked like he was concentrating very hard.

"Did you sleep?" She gently lifted herself off of him and rubbed her eyes, getting the sleep out.

"A little."

"How are you?" Haley made no move to get out of bed. For a few hours the day before, she thought she might lose him and now she didn't want to let him go.

"I think, I think I can feel your toes on my leg."

"Really?" Haley sat right up, careful not to jar him. She moved her leg along his, letting her toes graze his shin.

"Did you just move your foot?"

"Yeah. Did you feel it?"

Nathan nodded his head quickly. "Yeah. I did." He allowed himself a smile. Maybe today would be better than yesterday. He was getting the feeling back. He would meet with the team's doctor and they would give him the prognosis that he so desperately wanted.

Haley tentatively got off of the bed and walked to the end of it. She looked at Nathan and saw that small smile still on his face. "I'm just gonna…"

"Go ahead," he told her, knowing what she was doing. He pushed himself into a sitting position, using his fists as leverage against the bed.

Haley slowly moved her hand to lift the sheet past his feet. She brought her hand to his left foot and gently put some pressure on his big toe.

Nathan's smile got wider. "Your hands are cold."

Haley's smile matched Nathan's. "Sorry about that," she was still smiling, but she brought her hands together, rubbing them and hoping the friction would warm them up. She did the same thing with his right foot.

"I feel that, but not as much as the other foot."

Haley nodded. "That's okay. It's something." She went back to his left foot and ran her hands along it. Her hands went further up, massaging his calf.

"I can feel that," he told her with excitement.

Haley brought the sheet back over his foot and went back to the side of the bed. She linked her arms around Nathan's neck and hugged him.

"We're going to do this. You're going to be fine."

For the first time since he woke up from surgery, Nathan allowed himself to hug Haley. He hugged her as tightly as he could manage, but he was still a bit weak from surgery. "I love you," he told her.

They stayed wrapped in their embrace, with Haley climbing back on the bed next to Nathan.

"I think you should go home," he told her reluctantly. "To Sam," he added, not wanting her to think that he didn't want her there. He looked at the clock on the opposite wall. It was just after six in the morning. "He comes first, Hales. Be home when he wakes up."

"Brooke and Julian are with him," she protested. She knew that he was right. She'd been torn about it all night, wishing she could be in two places at once.

"Haley, I'll be okay." Right now, he honestly believed that. Feeling was returning to the lower half of his body and he was hopeful about the meeting with the team doctor. "I know you're torn. My mom and Lucas are here. You were here with me all night and when I woke up, so go be there for Sam when he wakes up."

"You're thoughtful and I love you. What are you thinking this morning?" She knew that things could look much different in the morning, after sleeping and having time to think.

Nathan pursed his lips before answering. "I'm glad I can feel something there. I guess I'm just gonna wait and react after I hear from another doctor. I'm trying not to think about much else until this. I don't want to. I just kinda want to ignore it."

"Okay. I'm going to go get Sam ready for school and clean myself up a bit."

"You look beautiful."

"Smooth talker. Anyway, I'll be back before you meet with the team doctor. I promise." She disentangled herself from him and stood up. "Remember what I told you last night. We're going to work on this together. You and me. We'll get you back to where you were. I love you," she said, reaching to kiss him softly.

"I love you too. Thanks, Haley."

"You don't have to thank me, Nathan. I'm always going to be here for you."

"Always and forever," he smirked.

Haley laughed and walked out of the room. She saw Lucas, Peyton, and Deb still sitting in the waiting room as she went toward the elevators.

"He's got some feeling back," she announced. The all looked up and smiled, urging her to go on. "It's still not complete. And it's stronger in the left leg than the right. I'm going to go home and take care of Sam, but I'll be back later. Lucas, the team doctor?"

"I'm waiting for them to call me back to set up the time."

"I'll be back before then. Just as soon as I get Sam to school."

"That's a good idea. You've been here all night and after yesterday, you can use a break. Take care of yourself," Lucas told her.

Deb stood up and took both of Haley's hands in hers. "Thank you for being there for him."

Haley smiled at the woman. She recognized the look in her face. It was relief, but it was the kind of relief experienced by a mother. She'd never had to go through anything like this with Sam and she prayed that she never would. "I'm supposed to be where he is."

"Come on, I'll drive you home," Peyton said, standing up. She hugged and kissed Lucas, telling him she loved him.

Haley would have insisted that Peyton stay, but she did drive her there. Haley would prefer to go with Peyton than have to take a cab.

* * *

They walked into the house quietly, knowing that Sam would still be asleep. Without a word, Haley went upstairs and peeked into her son's room. Seeing him peaceful and without a care in the world warmed her heart. It was just what she needed at that moment. She closed the door and went back downstairs, but not before depositing her shoes in her room.

She found Brooke, Peyton, and Julian in the kitchen. She could smell a fresh pot of coffee brewing and wouldn't wait to grab a cup.

"Thank you, Brooke, Julian." Haley moved around her kitchen, grabbing a mug and pouring herself coffee. She let her hands embrace the warm cup, finding the feeling soothing.

"Don't mention it," Julian told her. "I have to go to set, though. We've got an early start today. Haley, call me if you guys need anything."

"I will. Thanks again, Julian."

Julian kissed Brooke before leaving. Brooke loved Julian, but she knew that with him there, she couldn't ask all of the questions running through her head. The mind of Brooke Davis was usually running a mile a minute and this morning was no exception. She wanted to know how Nathan was. She had not turned the TV on or the radio on purpose. She didn't want to chance Sam hearing something he shouldn't. But, she was Brooke Davis and she couldn't help how curious she was.

She wasn't just curious. She was worried. Haley had called hours earlier to let Brooke know that Nathan was out of surgery. Peyton had sent a text message to let her know that Nathan was awake. She hadn't heard anything after that. She also still didn't know what had gotten Haley so upset before Nathan's accident.

"What's going on?" Brooke didn't waste any time once Julian had left.

Haley sighed and took a sip of her coffee. She took a seat at the table in the kitchen, sinking into the chair. "Another driver ran a red light and hit them. Lucas had a concussion, a pretty bad gash on his arm, some cuts and bruises. Nathan, though, he didn't wake up until after they operated."

"Why did they have to operate?"

"Internal bleeding," Peyton answered.

"Oh my gosh."

"He's okay now," Haley said. "But when he woke up, he couldn't feel his legs. The doctor said it was temporary paralysis. He started getting some feeling back when we woke up this morning. The doctor said it's going to take a lot of work to rehabilitate his knee. We're waiting on a second opinion, but they said that he might not play at the level he played before."

"Poor Boy Toy," Brooke sympathized. "But what happened? Haley, you were so upset when I came to your floor. And Chris just sort of stormed out with his guitar before that!"

Haley stood up and went into the living room. She sank into the couch. She hadn't minded sleeping in that cramped hospital bed with Nathan. She felt better being next to him. But on her own sofa, she could stretch out and relax.

Brooke and Peyton followed and took seats.

"Chris kissed me," Haley told Brooke.

"Then she pushed him away and punched him," Peyton beamed.

"Nice work!" Brooke momentarily forgot Sam asleep upstairs and raised her voice in her excitement. She quickly realized her mistake and covered her mouth with her hand. She removed and mouthed an apology to Haley. "So, Keller kissed you. I knew he had the hots for you, but seriously."

Haley nodded and looked out the window. She remembered what it felt like when Chris kissed her. She remembered him grabbing her and forcing her to him.

Peyton and Brooke both could easily see the change in Haley. They could see the stress on her face after Nathan's accident. This was different.

"What's wrong?" Brooke moved closer to Haley.

"When he kissed me," her voice was barely a whisper, "he grabbed me. I tried to back away, but he just held on tighter. I just… I just remembered him. I remembered trying to get away from Damien and how he just grabbed on tighter. So, I lost it. I pushed him and I hit him."

Haley hadn't been sure she was going to tell Brooke and Peyton that Chris had made her remember Damien. The stress of the past twenty-four hours got to her and she just needed to let it out.

"Now I don't just want to hit Chris Keller. Now I want to kill him," Peyton seethed.

"Get in line," Brooke added.

* * *

Nathan flipped through the limited selection of channels on the hospital television. He was trying to keep his mind off of his current situation. He didn't want to watch the news and he didn't want to hear anything about sports. Finally, he settled on E!, which was showing a biography about Haley. Hearing about Haley would help Nathan. Haley was a private person, so he was sure that a lot of it was speculation. But, watching Haley would help keep his mind off of the accident.

"You two are living together." Deb was sitting in a chair near Nathan's bed. Lucas was next to her. They had stayed with him after Haley left, not wanting him to be alone. Nathan was feeling a little suffocated, but he knew they meant well.

"Who told you that?"

"I did," Lucas answered.

"Kind of. Sort of. I stay there when I'm not on the road."

"That's a big step for you," Deb told him.

Nathan shrugged, but he was smiling.

"I don't know why you just don't sell your place and move in with her completely. You're always there."

"I'm proud of you, Nathan."

Nathan smiled, but didn't answer. He turned his attention back to the TV. It warmed him to know that his mother was proud of him. Nathan, while feeling optimistic, was still cautious. He knew that in a few hours, his world could be turned completely upside down.

* * *

"So, listen. I have to talk to you," Haley told Sam as she helped him put on his socks and shoes. The two went through the motions of teaching Sam to tie his shoes. Haley tied one, then let Sam try and tie the other. "You know how mommy was away last night and Aunt Brooke and Julian watched you?"

Sam nodded, but kept his attention focused on his shoe lace. Once he got it, he looked up at his mother. He has always been able to tell when something wasn't quite right with her, even if he wasn't able to comprehend what it was.

"Okay, do you remember when Andre's daddy was in a car accident?"

Sam nodded again. "He couldn't go to his job for a long time."

Haley nodded. "That's right. He got hurt. But he got better, right?"

"Right."

"Well, yesterday, Nathan and Lucas were in a car accident."

Sam's eyes widened in shock. Haley gently ran her hand down his arm to comfort him. "They're okay, sweetie."

Sam looked relieved. "Does that mean Nathan is coming home tonight?" Nathan and Haley weren't the only ones to realize that they were living together. Sam knew it too. Sam had come to expect that Nathan would be there when he wasn't on the road.

"Not yet, Sam. He was hurt and right now he can't walk. He needs to stay at the hospital so they can fix him."

"Is he gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, sweetie. It's just going to take time."

"Can I go see him?"

Haley shook her head. "Maybe later, though. You have to go to school. Listen, you know that sometimes when you're at school, some of the other kids ask you about mommy and Nathan. If they ask you about Nathan, just tell them he's getting better. Okay?"

"Can I make him a card before school?"

"Yeah. I think that's a good idea. I think he'd love that."

* * *

"Really, why don't you move in with them officially? You sleep there, you eat there, you shower there." Lucas was flipping through a magazine that had been left by a previous patient. Deb had taken over the TV and was watching Rachael Ray. Nathan felt like he was going crazy not knowing what to do.

"If I could get out of this bed and kick your ass, I would," Nathan threatened, half serious. Every once in a while he would try moving his legs again. He managed to get his left leg moved over a bit. The doctors, and Haley, had been right. The feeling was definitely coming back.

"Nathan," Deb began reprimanding him. "Although, I think Lucas might be right. If you are basically living there, then maybe this is something that you and Haley should discuss. This might be a good time for it, too. No matter what happens with the team doctor coming in, you will need physical therapy. Haley wants to help you. It would be great for you to be around someone who can help you."

Nathan knew his mother had a good point. He wanted to talk about this with Haley. He was going to do it once the season ended. He was thinking maybe they could do it when they got back from their planned vacation. Nathan wasn't sure if they'd be taking their trip now. His season was definitely over. He just didn't want to make any decisions right now, not when his future was so up in the air.

"You love Haley," Deb stated, wanting to continue this conversation and get some information out of her son. They had never been good with communication, but they were getting better. Sometimes Deb still had to prod until she could get Nathan to talk.

"Of course I love Haley. More than anything," Nathan admitted.

"Then what's the issue?"

"There is no issue," Nathan protested.

"No issue about what?" Haley came into the room. Nathan could tell she had freshened up. She had changed her clothes and her hair looked somewhat damp, so he guessed she had showered. "Did the doctor come while I was gone?" Worry colored Haley's face. She wanted to be there at Nathan's side when he met with the team doctor.

"No, no doctor yet," Nathan answered. "Did you sleep?" She hadn't been gone very long.

"No. I got cleaned up and took Sam to school. Then I came back. Lucas, Peyton said she would come back in an hour or so. She's taking care of some business so we can both be out today."

"Yeah, she sent me a text," Lucas told her.

Haley walked over to the side of Nathan's bed and leaned in to kiss him. "How are you?"

Nathan pointed at his left leg. "I got it moving a bit. Watch." Nathan concentrated and after a few seconds, he had moved his leg over about an inch.

"Nathan, you didn't mention you could do that," Deb said.

"I've been working on it," he answered.

"That's great, Nathan," Haley hugged him tightly, her arms wrapped around his neck. "You're doing great. I love you so much," she whispered. She pulled away from him, but took his hand in hers. "So, what's this issue?"

"It's nothing," Nathan responded.

"We were just asking Nate why he doesn't just sell his house and move in with you and Sam officially," Lucas revealed.

Haley opened her mouth to respond, then closed it. She repeated the action a couple of more times. "We haven't really talked about it," she finally stammered.

"We-," Nathan began.

"Nathan." An older man walked into the room followed by two other men, Dr. Wood, and Mitchell Stuart. "You remember Cliff Kennedy, team doctor."

"Yeah. How's it going, coach?"

"I'm more interested in your answer to that. How you feeling?"

"A little better. My left leg is moving. Um, you guys know Haley and Lucas."

"Of course," the coach said. "It's nice to see you two again."

"This is my mom, Deb Lee. Mom, this is my coach, and the team owner, and team doctor."

Everyone shook hands and greeted each other, but not long after, it was down to business.

"I'd like to have a few minutes to speak with Nathan," Dr. Kennedy told everyone.

Lucas, Deb, and Haley began walking for the door.

"I want Haley to stay," Nathan said, just as Haley was letting go of his hand to leave the room.

"Are you sure?" She was glad he wanted her there. After last night, when he wanted to be alone after finding out about his injuries, she had been worried. She had come close to losing him that she just wanted to be near him.

"Yeah. Stay."

Lucas, Deb, Nathan's coach, the team owner, Dr. Wood, and Mitchell Stuart all left the room, leaving Nathan and Haley with Dr. Kennedy. Once the door was closed, Dr. Kennedy turned toward the couple. They looked cautiously hopeful. It made what he was about to say that much more difficult.

"Dr. Wood tells me the feeling is coming back to your lower half?"

"Yeah, yeah. I can move my leg," Nathan told him.

"That's great, Nathan. That's happening sooner than we expected. You're bouncing right back."

"What about his knee?"

Dr. Kennedy sighed. "I'm afraid I have to agree with Dr. Wood and Mitchell Stuart, Nathan. The damage to your knee was extensive. You'll walk again. You may even play again. But it's highly unlikely that you'll play at a professional level again."

Nathan felt his heart sink and his mouth go dry. He had felt so optimistic when he began to move his leg and his toes. He felt that if he was recovering that quickly then that meant his knee could recover too. How could it all be taken away from him? How could one second change everything about his life? What was he supposed to do without basketball? Who was he supposed to be?

Haley could see the panic on Nathan's features and decided to intervene. "You said highly unlikely, Dr. Kennedy. I don't want to grasp at straws, but that makes it seem like there may be a chance. Even if it is a small one."

"I don't want to give you false hope, Nathan. I've never seen anyone come back from an injury like this, but I can't rule it out completely. I'm not saying one hundred percent no, but I've never seen it happen."

"So, we begin therapy when? As soon as all the feeling comes back to his legs?"

"Possibly even sooner," Dr. Kennedy explained. "There are a few things you can be doing to keep his muscles going."

Dr. Kennedy explained the physical therapy procedures, but Nathan had tuned him out. All that he wanted at that moment was for the doctor to shut up and leave. Nothing he could say was going to make anything better for Nathan. He barely even noticed when the doctor did leave. He did notice that Haley had climbed onto the bed with him and had put her arm around his shoulders. If he hadn't been feeling lower than he'd ever felt before, he might have laughed at tiny Haley holding large Nathan.

"We're going to work hard, Nathan. I know this wasn't what we wanted to hear. But it isn't completely out of the question. Dr. Kennedy even said that you're getting feeling back quicker than they expected. That's great news. We can do this."

"We," he scoffed. "Me. This is me, Haley. I have to do this. But what's the point?"

"Nathan?" Haley sat up and looked at Nathan. His expression was vacant.

"I want to be alone."

"Nathan, I don't think-"

"I want to be alone, Haley. Just go."

"Nathan, I think you should have someone with you. If not me, then Lucas or your mom."

"GO!" He didn't want to yell at her. It just happened. He just wanted her to stop pushing him and leave him alone to think. He glanced at her and could see the hurt in her eyes and could see her trying to hide that hurt. He didn't want to see that, so he looked down at the blanket covering him.

Haley got up slowly and walked to the door. Before she opened it, she whispered, "I love you. Always and forever." She walked out and shut the door behind her.

Nathan balled his hands into fists and looked around him, wanting to take his frustration out on anything. He had just taken it out on Haley and he didn't want to do that again. He saw the cup of ice chips on the table next to his bed. Picking it up, he used all of his strength and threw it. The ice hit the wall, the chips flying in all directions and leaving drops of water on the wall.

He looked down at his legs. Yesterday morning he'd felt terrible when he found out that his father was getting out of prison. He felt terrible when he saw Chris Keller kiss Haley. Now he was feeling worse than he'd ever felt before.

* * *

**Note:** And this is where dark Nathan begins. Hopefully I won't have much trouble writing it. I like seeing them happy, too, so sometimes it's hard to write things being difficult for them. I'm going to try and get another chapter up soon. I really am sorry it took so long.


	33. Chapter ThirtyTwo

**Disclaimer: **One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Well, this chapter isn't pretty. I was going to say sorry for that, but it's important for the story. I hope you'll stick with it. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

* * *

Metal, nylon, and a bit of rubber. Nathan stared at it. He scowled at it. He wanted nothing to do with it. He didn't have a choice, though. In a matter of minutes, the doctors would come in with Haley and Lucas and he would be discharged from the hospital. It had been a week since the accident. The feeling had returned completely to his lower half. Physical therapy had begun, but his heart wasn't in it. He went through the motions as the therapist and Haley both tried to get him to move his knee and working on getting him better.

He loved Haley, he did, but her enthusiasm was beginning to grate. He knew that she was trying to overcompensate because of his complete lack of enthusiasm. He just didn't care. He relied completely on his body to do what he loved. Now it had failed him. Basketball was everything that he was. His father had told him his entire life. He tried so hard not to let Dan influence him anymore. He tried not to let the things Dan had told him throughout his life get into his head. But he had always felt that Dan was right about that one thing. Nathan knew nothing like he knew basketball. He had no idea what he was supposed to do with his life now. He had been great at basketball and now that was taken away from him.

The wheelchair in front of him was evidence of that. It was sitting there next to his hospital bed. He would have to sit in it and be wheeled out of the hospital like a cripple. He felt like a cripple. Everyone knew that he was done. He hadn't made an official announcement about his career. It wasn't because he had any hope. He just couldn't be bothered to. One night, when he was completely alone after Haley and Lucas had gone home, he allowed himself to watch the news. A doctor had come on during the sports report and had basically told the public what Nathan's doctors had told him. He would walk, but it was highly unlikely that he would play.

Deb had gone home the day before. She wanted to stay and tried to get Nathan to let her. He was adamant. Eventually, he just booked her on a plane himself and basically sent her away. She looked hurt when he told her what he had done. He didn't want to see that, but he also didn't want to see her. More importantly, he didn't want her to see him. If he had anything to say about it, no one would see him like this.

The worst was when Sam had come to visit him. Haley had brought him by a few days after the accident. Sam immediately went to hop up on the bed to hug Nathan, but couldn't quite make it. Nathan had instinctively reached for him, but couldn't help him. Sam hadn't fallen. He hadn't been hurt. But Nathan realized just how much he needed his legs, his body, when it came to Sam. The incident made him feel useless. The look in Haley's eyes only made it worse. He thought he saw pity.

His thoughts were interrupted when Haley walked into the room. She was followed by Dr. Wood and Lucas. Lucas walked to the small closet in the corner of the room and picked up the duffel bag that Haley had brought for Nathan while he was there. It had a few things: shirts, underwear, his toiletries. Lucas also walked to the table next to Nathan's bed and collected the drawings and cards that Sam had made for Nathan. Haley had brought a new one with her every day. Each one depicted Nathan standing on his own two feet. In a couple of them, he was playing basketball like nothing was wrong. That was never going to happen again. Deep down, Nathan appreciated Sam's concern and loved him for it, but right now he was feeling bitter and the cards only reminded him that he wasn't Nathan Scott anymore.

"Ready to get out of here?" Haley took Nathan's hand in hers, lacing their fingers together even though he did nothing to reciprocate.

"Yeah," he answered. He said nothing else. Haley was getting used to it. Ever since he'd been given the news about his basketball career, his answers were usually only one word.

"I'm going to take this stuff down to the car, then I'll come help you out," Lucas told them. He gathered Nathan's things, as well as some of the balloons that had been sent to him.

"So, Nathan. You're doing well," Dr. Wood began.

Well? Nathan did nothing to try and hide his disdain and incredulity at the doctor's assessment that he was doing well.

Dr. Wood noticed Nathan's reaction, but continued. "You've recovered from surgery remarkably well. The feeling in your lower half came back so much sooner than we thought it would. Really, it's impressive. My only instructions are to take it easy for the next few weeks. You have your follow up appointments set, so we should be good. I know Haley's going to help you out with whatever you need. Mitch Stuart gave you both the instructions for the therapy you can be doing for your knee at home. I know you're also scheduled to start coming in for therapy next week. If you can rehab your knee as well as you recovered from surgery, I'm sure you'll be back in shape in no time."

"No, I won't," Nathan retorted. "It won't be like it was."

"I'm sorry about that, Nathan."

Haley had been focused on Nathan as Dr. Wood was talking. He had looked angry and bitter for days now and she had hoped he would snap out of it. She hoped that he would realize that even if he couldn't play basketball, he could still have a great life. She hoped he realized that he still had a lot to be grateful for. That wasn't happening yet, but Haley could be patient. She promised she would be there with him through everything and she meant it.

Lucas came back and he and an orderly lifted Nathan into the awaiting wheelchair. Nathan hated the thing. He hated that he couldn't get out of the hospital bed on his own to get into it. He hated that Haley had to see him so useless and dependent on others. He hated this situation. At that moment, what he wanted more than anything was a good, stiff drink.

"I'll take it from there," Haley offered once Nathan was settled in the chair. She walked behind him and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. She then grabbed both handles of the wheelchair and steered Nathan out of the room. She quietly thanked Dr. Wood and the orderly as they left.

The ride in the elevator was completely silent. Lucas tried smiling at Haley. He could see the stress she was going through. He knew that Nathan had it in him to act like this, but he had hoped that with the maturity he had gained in the recent two years that that behavior was gone. He was disappointed that it wasn't, but he tried to be understanding. Before he and Nathan ever spoke to each other, what he knew about Nathan was that he was a great basketball player. Now that was gone. It was different from when Lucas lost the game. Lucas had known he would never go pro and he knew he had something else that he loved to do that he could turn to. Lucas just hoped that once Nathan got past being bitter than he would realize that even though he didn't have basketball, he still had something that he loved with him. Or rather, someone.

The hospital staff had been very understanding when Lucas and Haley had asked them to help keep Nathan's departure from the hospital as quiet as possible. They were allowed to leave through a staff elevator and Lucas was allowed to temporarily park the car near the garage entrance.

"I'm still working on the car situation," Lucas explained as they approached Haley's car.

Haley got the door open and looked up to Lucas. "How do you want to do this?"

"I know you can move your left leg, Nathan. I'm going to need you to help me out for leverage."

"Whatever," Nathan gritted.

Lucas took Nathan's arm and placed it around his shoulders. Using his knees, he lifted his brother from the chair. Nathan reluctantly placed his left foot on the ground, trying to balance his weight between his leg and Lucas's hold on him. Haley stood off to the side, but was ready to jump in if they needed help. Lucas got Nathan into the front seat of Haley's car with little trouble. Haley leaned in to kiss Nathan before shutting the passenger side door and walking to the driver's side.

Still noticing the tension, Lucas tried to make small talk with both Nathan and Haley as they drove home. Nathan never responded, but Haley tried to. Haley and Lucas were both trying for some sense of normalcy. They were both hoping that if they could get things as normal as possible then maybe Nathan would snap out of this funk.

* * *

Nathan barely noticed Peyton and Brooke's cars at Haley's house when they arrived. Like they had at the hospital, Lucas and Nathan worked together to get Nathan out of the car. Haley stopped the chair when they got to the door, struggling to lift it slightly to get him over the small step. Again, Nathan felt useless.

When Haley wheeled him into the house, he cringed. Brooke, Peyton, Julian, and Sam were all there and they had decorated. A banner hung in the living room that read, "Welcome Home, Nathan!" There were balloons tied to some of the lamps and Sam was standing front and center with another card.

He ran to Nathan when they came in and wrapped his tiny arms around Nathan's waist. He didn't try and climb on Nathan's lap. He would have, but after trying to climb on the hospital bed, Haley had talked to him about it. She had told Sam that Nathan couldn't help Sam right now like he used to and that Sam needed to take it easy around Nathan.

"I'm glad you're home," Sam muffled into Nathan's gray t-shirt. Nathan managed to pat Sam on the back gently, before backing away uncomfortably.

Nathan ran his hand along his chin, which was now covered in a light stubble after a week of not shaving. He moved his hand from his face to his hair. He had stopped cutting it during the playoffs and it was still long, reaching just to his neck and falling into his face a bit. "I'm, uh, I'm kinda tired," he quietly told everyone. One of the last things he wanted was for people to see him like this. He didn't need a welcome home party.

"We'll get going," Brooke said. She and Julian walked toward the door. "Call us if you need anything, Hales. We're glad you're home, Nathan."

Once they had gone, Nathan attempted for the first time to move the chair on his own. He brought his calloused hands to the rubber and metal wheels. He rotated them, moving himself forward a few inches.

Haley watched Nathan try to move. He was doing so hesitantly, like he didn't know what he was supposed to do. "I have the sleeper sofa set up for you," she explained. "I know it'll be a bit with therapy before you can make it upstairs again. We've got it all set up for you. You'll have everything you need here."

Nathan turned the chair to where the living room was and wheeled himself into there. Briefly, he was glad for the wood floors in Haley's house, making it easier for him to wheel himself around than if it had been carpeted.

"Lucas and Peyton were going to stay for dinner," Haley told him.

"I just want to make sure you're settled and you guys don't need anything before we go," Lucas added.

"Okay," was all Nathan said. Lucas took it as a positive sign. It was better than "whatever." The word "whatever" indicated indifference and Lucas didn't like hearing indifference from his brother.

"Good to see you out of that hospital bed, Nathan," Peyton said, trying to get some sort of conversation going.

"This isn't much different," Nathan told her. He wheeled himself to the window and stared outside. He hoped everyone would get the picture and stop talking to him.

"I'll go to the car and get your stuff," Lucas said. When he returned, his arms were full of Nathan's duffel bag and the balloons and cards.

Sam immediately grabbed the cards from him. He took each card and placed it on the mantle of the fireplace, right where Nathan could see them from the sleeper sofa.

"I'll get dinner started," Haley excused herself.

Dinner had been quiet. Sam and Peyton had done most of the talking and most of it with each other. Both looked at Nathan uncomfortably. He barely touched his food. Really, he only touched it when he noticed Haley looking from the plate to him. He could tell she was worried and he didn't want that. He didn't want her to go through this with him. She deserved better.

"You can go now," Nathan told Lucas and Peyton as soon as dinner had been finished. He wanted to be alone. The fewer the people around him the better.

Lucas looked at Haley, wanting to make sure that she was okay with that.

"We'll be fine," she reassured him.

"Okay. We'll get going. You guys call if you need anything," Peyton said.

Haley washed the dishes after Peyton and Lucas had left. She would have normally just put them in the dishwasher, but she felt the need to do something, to accomplish something. Even if it was a menial task like doing the dishes, at least she was doing something.

Nathan had gone from the dining room back to the living room and resumed his previous activity of staring out the window. It was nearly summer, so the sun hadn't set yet. It was setting, though, so Haley's backyard was illuminated by the orange hues of the setting sun. The view had no influence on Nathan, though. He was just staring and hoping that no one was staring at him. He could hear Haley and Sam talking in the kitchen and knew that they weren't watching him. That didn't stop him from feeling self-conscious. Still wanting that drink he'd craved earlier, he picked up his cell phone and typed a quick text message.

* * *

Sam sat at the small table in the kitchen and watched his mother drying the dishes from dinner.

"How come they're not in the dishwasher?"

"I just felt like doing them by hand tonight, bud."

"Oh."

"When I'm done here, we'll get you ready for bed."

"Do I have to?"

"Yeah, you need your rest."

"Can I sleep down here with you and Nathan?"

Haley smiled sadly. Of course he would want that. He had thought of Nathan sleeping in the living room as camping out. It made sense that he'd want to camp out too.

"I don't think so. Nathan needs his space while he's getting better." Haley finished putting the last dish away. After placing her dish rag on the counter, she reached for Sam's hand. "Bed time."

They passed the living room on their way to the staircase. "Nathan, I'm just going to get Sam ready for bed and tucked in. I'll be down after that."

Sam let go of his mother's hand and walked up to Nathan. He slowed his pace as he got closer to Nathan. When Nathan didn't turn around to acknowledge him, Sam moved so he was facing Nathan. "I'm glad you're going to get better, Nathan." Somehow, Sam knew not to wait for an answer, so he walked back to his mother and the two walked upstairs.

Thus far, this had been the best part of Haley's day. It was definitely the least stressful. She sat with Sam in the bathroom as the boy brushed his teeth. As he spit and rinsed, she couldn't help but smile. Things were so simple for him. While his arrival had been complicated and unexpected, his presence in her life was actually very simple. It was no wonder that she always found comfort around her son. She was trying to stay strong and positive for Nathan. He wasn't making it easy, but she was trying. Sam gave her focus and strength.

Haley continued watching Sam as he got into his pajamas. She tucked him in and picked up one of the books from the shelf next to his bed. He scooted over to the edge of the bed to give his mother room to sit with him. Kicking off her shoes, Haley climbed into Sam's bed. He rested his head on the pillow next to her as she began to read.

Sam had heard this story countless times before. He could probably recite it from memory. His attention began to drift as Haley reached the last couple of pages.

"Nathan is sad." It wasn't a question. Sam knew it. He could see it. The Nathan that came home today wasn't the Nathan that he had come to love in the past few months. Sam couldn't quite understand it. He just knew that this wasn't Nathan to him.

"Yeah, he's sad, baby." Haley could tell that story time was over. She closed the book and set it aside.

"Because he can't play basketball?"

Haley hugged Sam. "He's been playing his entire life. He worked really hard so he could play for the Lakers."

"So now he's sad that he can't?"

"Yeah."

"I hope he won't be sad anymore."

"Me too. Me too." Haley kissed the top of his head and stood from his bed. She tucked him in again and turned out his light. Quietly, she closed the door almost completely.

As Haley walked downstairs, she could hear a voice. She quickened her pace and reached the living room to find Lucas sitting there.

"You're back," she observed.

Lucas looked at her sheepishly, running his hand over his short hair and squinting. "Nathan texted me."

"You have your hands full with Sam. I'm gonna go to my house." Those two sentences were the most Nathan had spoken since they left the hospital and Haley couldn't help but feel hurt.

"It's not a problem, Nathan. You belong here."

"No I don't," he said in a whisper. "I just want to be alone. I'll be fine."

Haley tried to stop the tears from spilling from her eyes. She couldn't help but be hurt that Nathan wanted to be alone, but she also could understand where he was coming from. She knew he was feeling his worst and she knew that sometimes, that meant wanting to hole up alone and not be around anyone. With that in mind, she swallowed the lump in her throat. She looked and saw that Lucas already had Nathan's bag with him. Unlike when they arrived, he wasn't bringing the balloons and cards.

Haley approached Nathan and bent so she was eye level with him. She took his face in both of her hands, feeling the coarse hair of his growing beard on her palms. "I will come by tomorrow." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "I love you and I will be there for you. Always and forever."

She wasn't asking him. She was telling him that she wasn't going anywhere. He needed to know that if he was going to push, she was going to push. They may have to battle it out, but she was staying put. She would give him his space. She kissed him softly on the lips before standing and crossing her arms over her chest.

Nathan wheeled himself to the door without a word or a glance toward Haley. Lucas shrugged and followed. Haley watched as Lucas and Nathan drove away in Peyton's car. Turning the lights off downstairs, she walked to her bedroom. She stopped when she reached the door and turned toward Sam's room. Without a second thought, she walked in and sat in the small beanbag chair that was in the corner of Sam's room. Now she really needed the comfort of her son. She watched him from the beanbag chair for what seemed like hours before she finally drifted off into a light sleep.

* * *

"You shouldn't push Haley away," Lucas told Nathan as they walked into the house.

Nathan hadn't been in this house in ages. He kept so many of his necessities at Haley's that it was becoming pointless to come into this house. It was large. It was too large for one man. Most of it was empty. Nathan thought about how empty he felt and couldn't help but feel that it was right. An empty man in an empty house.

"Stay out of it," Nathan retorted.

Lucas nodded. "For now. She wants to be there for you. Don't forget that, Nathan."

Nathan grabbed the duffel bag from Lucas and placed it on his lap. He wheeled himself into the kitchen, dumping the bag on the counter. He stayed put, not sure of what to do. He'd wanted to come here. He'd wanted to be alone. Something about it didn't feel right, though.

For a moment, he considered having Lucas take him back to Haley's, but that thought quickly left his mind. He'd left and he knew Haley would take him back, but it didn't feel right. It didn't feel right being there and it didn't feel right being here. It just didn't feel right. Haley had been through a lot and the last thing that she needed was someone around who couldn't even get himself into his own bed. She didn't need to be around him. She and Sam would both be better if he was here and that was why Nathan realized he couldn't go back there.

He hated that he couldn't lift Sam onto his lap like he once could. He hated that the boy was so hesitant around him. Nathan believed this was better, though. If he could separate himself from them, then they'd get used to being without him.

He was wallowing in self-pity, but ever present in Nathan's mind was the fact that he didn't think that Sam and Haley should have to deal with him and what his life was becoming.

"You don't need to stay," Nathan told his brother. "I just want to be alone."

"Where are you going to sleep?"

"On the sofa, I guess."

"That's probably not good for you. You need to sleep in an actual bed. You're recovering from a major accident, Nathan."

"I know what I'm recovering from," Nathan spat out. In truth, he didn't feel like he was recovering at all.

"This wasn't exactly planned out, Nathan." Lucas waited for Nathan to answer, but when nothing happened, he continued. "You should have stayed at Haley's. At least you had a bed there."

"I said stay out of it."

"I'll help you get to the sofa," Lucas offered, knowing that right now, talking to Nathan was like talking to a brick wall.

"I can handle it."

"Seriously, Nathan? Just let me help you get on the damn sofa."

"Dammit, Lucas, quit meddling and leave me the hell alone," Nathan bit back. He angrily wheeled himself into the living room, trying to get away from his brother.

Lucas ran his hand along his head. He followed his brother, but he knew the act was futile. He stopped when he noticed Nathan sitting between the back of the sofa and the drink cart that was against the wall. He could tell that Nathan was trying to not look at the tumblers filled with various alcoholic beverages.

"Don't do it," Lucas finally said. "It isn't gonna help."

"I'm asking you, Lucas, to leave me alone. I want to be alone."

"You may want that, but it isn't what you need."

"Just give me what I want right now and go."

Lucas thought for a few moments, weighing his options. He knew he wasn't going to accomplish anything with Nathan tonight. He knew anything he said would go in one ear and directly out the other. On the other hand, if he gave Nathan what he wanted now, maybe Nathan would be more open to some help tomorrow. Lucas didn't really feel that he had any other option.

"Okay. Okay, I'll go. But I'll be back here first thing in the morning." Lucas began to leave, but stopped, not bothering to turn and face Nathan. He'd only be facing the back of Nathan anyway. "You're trying so hard to push away the people who love you the most. Haley, Sam, me. You even sent your mom away. We're all letting you do your thing and that's fine. But only for now. Eventually, you're gonna have to snap out of it and work on getting better. I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep well, Nate."

Nathan waited until he heard the door shut. Without hesitation, he reached for the bottle of whiskey on the cart. It was full, it hadn't been opened yet. Nathan quickly got the bottle open and took a swig from the bottle. As soon as it had gone down his throat, he took another swig. Then another.

The next morning, Haley and Lucas arrived at Nathan's together. Lucas's car had been totaled in the accident and he was still sorting out the insurance issues before he got another one. Haley picked him up after dropping Sam off at school.

On the drive to Nathan's, they briefly discussed how they would try and work with Nathan. They both agreed that it would be best to take things slowly. Neither wanted to push Nathan. Both realized that it would do more harm than good. Their discussion wasn't enough to prepare them for what they saw when they reached the living room. Nathan was sprawled out on the sofa, his arm dangling over the edge. The wheelchair was on its side in the ground next to the sofa. Sitting on the table next to the sofa was a now empty bottle of whiskey.

* * *

**Note:** You know at the end of the last episode, _8x06 Not Afraid_ when Nathan said he had to find something to be great at? That totally works for where this is going. Nathan's got to realize what he can have without basketball. So, I hope you're sticking with the story. I hope I can have the next chapter out soon. The good news is that I know where I want it to go so that should make writing it easier. I hope.


	34. Chapter ThirtyThree

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Well, this chapter is a big one. Important things happen. I hope you enjoy it. :)

* * *

Five weeks had passed. Nathan's attitude hadn't improved. In fact, it had gotten worse. Lucas had forced him to go to physical therapy in the first couple of weeks. When the therapist explained to Lucas that Nathan wasn't doing the work necessary, Lucas stopped taking him. Haley tried to take him, but he wouldn't leave the house. The only times he had left the house after coming home were for his follow up appointments with the doctor. The stitches from his surgery had come out, leaving a small scar on his stomach.

He was drinking heavily. Lucas and Haley were sure that he never went to sleep sober, which meant that instead of going to sleep he was passing out. Lucas and Haley realized that he was having new bottles of whiskey brought over by his agent when they weren't there. Neither of them bought them for him. They wouldn't have and Nathan seemed to know better than to ask.

Haley was having a problem with being with Nathan as much as she would have liked. She thought he needed her there more. Sam was out of school for the summer, though. With Nathan drinking so much, she didn't think it was a good idea for her to bring him there often. At the most, she brought him with her once a week. For the most part, Brooke or Peyton were watching him while Haley spent a few hours with Nathan.

Every time, Haley apologized to Nathan for not being able to stay with him longer. Every time, he would tell her that it was fine but she could hear the indifference in his voice. She wished he would get mad at her. She wished he would do something other than act like he didn't care. She tried not to let it hurt her, because she understood that Nathan was going through something terrible. She couldn't help it, though. The man she loved with everything in her, the man she took a huge leap with in loving, was acting like he didn't care.

Haley didn't realize that he did care. His attempts at showing that he didn't care were his messed up way of protecting her. After five weeks, he still felt bitter and angry. He was trying with all his might to get her to go away. At least while he figured out what he was supposed to do with his life. The problem was, one of several problems, was that he didn't know how to figure that out. He didn't know how to say goodbye to something that had been so central to his life. He was aware that it was costing him something else that was central to his life.

He weighed his options and did what he thought was best. In the moments when he was sober, he thought about how much Haley had been through and survived. Now he was dragging her down with him. Drinking made it easier for him to treat her with indifference. Drinking numbed him to how bad he would feel about it if he were sober. That's why he grabbed a bottle almost as soon as he woke up.

He wasn't able to sleep without her next to him. He realized that if he had stayed at her house, she would have been next to him. If he had asked, she would sleep right next to him just as they had every night when he was home before the accident. He couldn't sleep without her next to him and that's another reason why he drank. Instead of sleeping, he passed out. It had been going on for weeks now.

Haley wasn't sleeping either, but she didn't share that with Nathan. She didn't share it with anyone. She had become so used to sleeping while snuggled up next to Nathan. In a way, she felt like it was one of the most intimate things she had ever shared with a person. When he was away at games, it was different. She knew he had to be away. Now, he was here. He wasn't even in another city. But he wasn't with her and she couldn't sleep.

Haley didn't even try to hide the yawn that escaped as she sat at her desk. Sam was sitting on the rug in the middle of the office. He was hard at work on a puzzle and Andre was helping him. Lately, Haley had taken to dozing off in Sam's room on the bean bag chair. After a few hours, she would wake up with a stiff neck or because she had slept on her arm wrong. Either way, she was waking up because she was uncomfortable. Physically, she was uncomfortable. But, emotionally, falling asleep in Sam's room was the most calm she'd felt since Nathan's accent. Watching him as he slept with not a care in the world assured her that something was right in the world. She would then drag herself to her own bed and would toss and turn, eventually drifting off.

"You keep yawning, I may have to fire you," Peyton teased from across the room.

"You can't fire mommy," Sam defended her.

Peyton laughed. "I know, kiddo. I'm just teasing her. I think your mom needs a nap."

"I'm fine," Haley assured them.

"I'm sure you are," Peyton responded. The look on her face told Haley that Peyton didn't believe her. Right now, Haley didn't have the energy to argue.

"It'll be fine, Peyton," was all Haley said. She turned her attention back to the notebook on her desk.

"What are you writing?" Peyton got up from her own desk and walked to Haley's. She looked down at the notebook and saw Haley's scrawl all over it. Haley James had great handwriting. It was almost meticulous, how carefully she wrote out each letter of each word. But when she got to song writing, on occasion, she would feel so passionately for a song she was writing, that the lyrics were written in a scrawl that only Haley could decipher. "Feeling inspired?"

Haley didn't feel like answering that question. At least not honestly. "Something like that."

"Is there music to go with it?"

"Actually, yeah. I just started thinking of lyrics and started writing. I have a melody in mind."

Peyton knew that Haley's creativity was her way of dealing with things, so she wasn't surprised to find her friend turning to her music.

"Let me know when you're ready to get in the studio. I'm excited for a new Haley James record. And not just as your producer. Mostly as a fan."

"Well, if you play your cards right, I may just give you an advanced copy. Autographed." It felt good to joke, only if it was briefly. It was nice to have a moment to just be normal.

"I'm gonna hold you do that."

Haley bit down on her lip as she wrote one more line for the song she was working on. "This is the fifth song I've written in the past week, Peyton."

Peyton stood up straight, the excitement evident on her face. She loved when Haley was creating. She had been hoping Haley would record. One of the reasons she initially pushed Chris Keller on Haley was that she wanted a new album from Haley. She wanted a new album from Haley because she was dying to know how a Haley James album would sound when Haley was head over heels in love. Haley was still head over heels in love, but the circumstances were different. She wasn't happy and carefree like she'd been a few months ago when Peyton wanted her to work on an album. Peyton had a feeling that this material was coming from a place of uncertainty and possibly from pain. Haley's first recordings had been like that. The material was great. Peyton was excited to hear what Haley was coming up with, she just didn't like that it was coming from a dark place.

"Five songs?"

"They're not great. Well, I think they could be. They could use some work. But I've written them."

"Can't wait to hear it, Foxy." Peyton looked back at Sam and Andre, then at Haley. She lowered her voice. "How are you?"

Haley sighed and rubbed her temples with her fingers. "He's been drinking. Every day. Lucas and I don't know how to make it stop."

"I asked how you were. You're telling me about Nathan."

Haley looked at Peyton. The look said a lot. It said that at the moment, the two were almost the same. "We've been better," she said.

"I know he's been drinking. Lucas mentioned it and when we went by there, I could smell it."

"Yeah. I can smell it too," Haley sighed.

Peyton put her hands on her hips and tried to hide her anger at the situation. "You let me know if you need anything."

* * *

**Five Years Earlier**

Peyton walked into the apartment. They had only been living there for two weeks and it still didn't quite feel like home. At Haley's insistence, they were completely unpacked and settled. Peyton and Brooke had both been glad that Haley had insisted on that. It was like having the old Haley back. A little bit. They were getting there. Almost as soon as they'd gotten back from Charlotte and telling the Jameses that Haley was pregnant, Brooke and Peyton had fulfilled their promise of getting an apartment closer to campus. Brooke and Peyton were sharing a room. Haley had protested, but the two had won out. At this point, they were thinking that if Haley decided to keep the baby, that she and the baby would share. If that happened, Brooke and Peyton would inevitably share a room.

Peyton looked from the front door to the kitchen. She saw Haley standing in front of the cupboards. She had several of their dishes out. Peyton could tell that she was reorganizing. She looked at the counter and saw a bottle of vodka sitting on the counter. Peyton had brought it back from a show earlier in the week.

"Organizing?" Peyton set her bag on the counter.

"It just wasn't quite right." Haley hadn't turned around yet. She reached up and placed the mugs in a different spot. "I'm sorry. I know I get crazy with the organizing."

Peyton waved her hand. "One of the many reasons we love you. Where's Brooke?" Peyton still didn't like Haley being left alone. Brooke didn't like it either, but sometimes it couldn't be avoided. They all understood it.

"She had a meeting." Haley began putting dishes back. "I found that in the cupboard, by the way." Haley pointed toward the bottle of vodka.

"Oh, yeah. That show I hosted at the club. I got it."

Haley smirked. "Do they know you're not twenty-one?"

"They figure I'm close enough."

"I guess it works that way in the music business."

"Something on your mind?" Peyton could tell there was. Haley had barely looked at her since she came in and she was organizing. She organized when she was stressed. "Is it the baby?"

"No. The baby is fine." Haley finally turned around to face Peyton. "My therapist said if something was bothering me, I should just say it." Haley was talking mostly to herself at this point.

"Say what?"

Haley looked directly at Peyton. "Do you think we could throw out the booze? I'm not comfortable with it here."

"Oh, yeah. Absolutely." Peyton reached for the bottle. Opening it, she turned it upside down and poured its contents down the drain. When that was done, she placed the bottle in the recycling bin. She didn't ask questions. Haley said she was uncomfortable with it there and that was enough for Peyton.

Haley noticed that Peyton didn't ask, but she remembered what her therapist had told her. Talking might help. Letting her friends know how she was feeling might help.

Haley stiffened her resolve and spoke. "He smelled. Damien Smith. I could smell the alcohol on him and I wanted to throw up. I know I can't avoid people drinking forever. But, right now-"

"It's gone, Hales. You got it. Anything." Peyton hadn't realized. She didn't know that Damien Smith had been drunk when he raped Haley. She didn't know that Haley could smell the alcohol on him. If Haley didn't like the smell of alcohol, then they just wouldn't keep alcohol in the house. It was that simple.

* * *

**Present Day**

"Nathan, we're here," Haley announced as she and Sam arrived at the house. They had dropped Andre off at his house just before going to the grocery store. Haley carried in both arms bags of groceries. She hoped that Nathan would start eating. She didn't have anything that he needed to cook. She had cans of soup, things he could heat up in the microwave, and some fruit. Sam carried a smaller bag, lugging it into the house.

Haley didn't expect an answer. She knew better than that. She knew he was probably sitting in the living room with the blinds closed, curtains drawn, and sitting in a corner. It's how she usually found him. The thought of walking into that darkened living room made her sad.

"Let's put these in the kitchen and then you can turn on the PS3 and play while mommy talks to Nathan."

"Is he okay?" Sam trudged along beside his mother. After setting her groceries on the counter, she took the bag from Sam.

"I'm sure he's fine. Go ahead and play, sweetie."

"Okay. I hope Nathan is okay," Sam said, retreating to Nathan's large home theater room. After a few visits, when it became clear to Haley that Nathan wasn't going to speak to Sam, she had Lucas show him how to turn on the PS3 and had set aside the games that were suitable for his age. Haley hated that she had to keep Sam away from Nathan, but with Nathan's drinking, she didn't have much of a choice. She realized she could have left Sam with Peyton or Brooke, but she hated doing that so often. She was already doing that more than she liked because of the days she did visit without bringing Sam.

When Sam was gone, Haley set out to put the groceries away. When she was done, she pulled things out of the refrigerator to make a sandwich for Nathan. She did this everyday and he never touched it. She didn't know if he ate it when she was gone, but when she came back the next day, it was never there. She figured that if he hadn't eaten it, that Lucas probably took care of it. Or maybe, just maybe, he ate it once she left. He had to be eating something.

She braced herself, gathering her courage, and walked into the living room. Sure enough, it was dark. Haley let her eyes adjust to the lack of light. She looked at the corners of the room, finding Nathan.

"Hi," she said softly. He didn't say a word. Five weeks, and not a word. Five weeks and he barely acknowledged her presence. She was a patient woman. She had promised to stand by him through everything. He had to meet her in the middle. He had to do some of the work too. "Did you go to therapy today?" Still, nothing. She made her way to the window and opening the blinds, letting some sunlight in.

Haley turned to him. She saw him squinting against the light. She noticed the half empty bottle in his hand. He brought it to his lips, taking a drink. As Haley opened the window to let some air in, a breeze came through. The smell of the alcohol hit Haley's nostrils and she closed her eyes, sighing.

She was patient and she was strong, but enough was enough. "Are you going to say a damn word to me, Nathan? It's been five weeks. I know you're going through a rough time, but you have to do something other than sitting here in the dark drinking yourself into a stupor all day!"

Nathan jerked his head up. He looked at Haley and saw anger. Maybe this was it. Maybe this would finally be the day he pushed her too far. A part of him welcomed that. A part of him wanted her to get so angry she would leave. Then maybe she could get on with her life. But to say he was going through a rough time? A rough time? He had his entire life taken away from him.

"A rough time, Haley?" If she could get angry, he could get angry too. He'd been frustrated for five weeks and had done nothing about it. He had a breaking point too. "Haley, I was great. I had something in my life that I was great at! Now I have nothing!"

Haley slammed the plate with the sandwich down on the table. Nothing. She had been with him through this everyday and he thought he had nothing. "I love you Nathan, but if you keep this up, you might actually have nothing."

"Dammit, Haley, stop trying so damn hard to fix me!" In his frustration, Nathan took the bottle in his hand and threw it toward the wall. He didn't notice until the bottle made impact that Sam was standing in the doorway. The doorway that was next to the wall where he'd just thrown the bottle.

"I heard yelling," the boy said, his voice small and quiet.

Noticing her son in the room, Haley ran to him. She searched him to see if any glass had hit him. She couldn't see any glass, but there were a few splatters of the whiskey on his shirt. She kissed his forehead. "Are you okay?" Sam nodded. "Sam, I need you to go back to the other room for mommy. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Sam nodded. He looked at Nathan before leaving.

Nathan couldn't believe what he'd just done. The bottle could have hit Sam. Nathan never wanted to hurt Haley or Sam, but what had he just done? He let his temper get the better of him and Sam had nearly been in the line of fire.

"I-," he stammered.

"I'm leaving," Haley said resolutely. "I won't be back for a few days."

This is what Nathan had wanted, but it still tore him up to hear it.

"I need some space, Nathan. Sam. I know that whatever you're going through, you understand about Sam. I love you, but we can't be around this, Nathan." Haley let a few tears fall down her cheeks. "I love you." A few short strides and she was right in front of him. She ignored the stench of whiskey emanating from his pours and kissed him. "I love you."

Nathan stayed in the same spot. He heard Haley get Sam and walk out the door. He heard her car as she drove off. Then he was alone. Just what he'd wanted. He wanted Haley to not be around him like this and now he had his wish. He'd done it. She said she would be back in a few days, but he believed she didn't mean it. Haley was someone who kept her word, but even she had a limit. That limit was Sam. She would never stand for Sam being hurt. Nathan had never considered that Sam would be what finally did this. He would rather die than hurt Sam. He had almost hurt Sam. He had definitely scared Sam. He could see the fear on the boy's face. He wasn't so drunk that he couldn't see that. He didn't want to see that. With that in mind, he wheeled himself to the drink cart. He grabbed a fresh bottle, opened it and drank.

* * *

Lucas and Peyton walked into Nathan's house the next day. They found the house much the same as it had been. They once again found Nathan in the living room, bottle in hand. He looked worse than usual, though. He looked like he hadn't slept, or passed out.

"Has Haley been by today?" Lucas didn't expect an answer, but was surprised when he got one.

"No."

"I'm sure she'll be by later," Lucas said. He looked and saw a sandwich on one of the end tables. "Has that been there since yesterday."

"It doesn't matter," Nathan muttered.

"Doesn't matter? Nathan, what's going on?"

"Nothing."

Lucas decided to let it go. That seemed like all he had been doing. Letting it go. He was getting to a point when he wouldn't be letting it go. "Hey, I forgot to pick up your prescription. I'll be back in ten minutes."

"I'm going to stay here," Peyton said. She was staring at Nathan. She saw something that Lucas hadn't even noticed. Nathan looked guilty.

Lucas found that strange. Peyton and Nathan had never been close. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Peyton was still staring at Nathan.

"Okay."

After Lucas had left, Peyton kept staring at Nathan. He flinched. She wouldn't stop staring.

"What happened to the wall?" Peyton had noticed the stain and the glass on the floor. She had a good guess about what happened. "Get mad? Finally show some emotion? You couldn't have at least responded when Haley was here? Instead of acting like you don't care."

If only Peyton knew that he had done that with Haley here.

"You're going to have to explain that to her when she comes over today."

"She isn't coming," Nathan said softly. "She isn't coming back."

Peyton was actually surprised. Nathan had to have done something to finally break Haley's patience. Peyton knew how much Haley loved Nathan, so if Haley wasn't coming back… Peyton studied Nathan. He was looking down on the floor. The way he looked, that was the most emotion Peyton had seen from Nathan since before the accident. He looked like he really had lost everything.

"You reek," Peyton said, getting up from where she'd been sitting on the edge of the sofa. She left the room and Nathan could hear her rummaging through something. After a while, he could hear her turning on the sink. When she came back into the room, she was carrying a bucket. Before he realized what was going on, Peyton dumped the bucket, which was filled with water, on Nathan.

"What the hell, Peyton!" He was soaked.

"You're going to be sober when you hear this. Are you sober?"

Nathan wiped some of the water from his face. The truth was he hadn't been that drunk. After a few drinks from the bottle he opened after Haley left, he hadn't had anymore. This time he wanted to feel the pain and the emptiness. After nearly hurting Sam, he felt like he deserved it.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Good. " Peyton pulled over the chair that was in the corner of the room. She positioned it so she was sitting directly in front of Nathan. "You think you're in bad shape? You think you're feeling down? I'll tell you a story, Nathan. She woke up in the hospital screaming. Me and Brooke weren't even in the room yet. We heard her screaming and ran to her. That's when we found out she was raped. Before the shock of hearing that wore off, there was the shock of seeing how she looked. You've seen the scar on her eye. Now imagine it just hours after she got it. She was beaten, Nathan. He beat her. He hit her so much and so hard that she couldn't open her left eye for days."

Nathan didn't want to hear this. He didn't want to hear about Haley being hurt. It was bad enough knowing it happened.

"She bites her lip. I know you know that. But she couldn't because he hit her and busted it open. She was battered and bruised and broken. As empty as you've felt these past few weeks, that is nothing compared to what she's been through."

"I know that," he whispered. Now that he was sober, he was more willing to talk. If talking got Peyton to stop telling him this, he would talk.

"Well if you know it, why are you doing this to her?"

"Because…"

"Because what?"

"Because she's been through a lot and she doesn't need to be around me like this."

Peyton opened her mouth. When she couldn't think of anything to say, she did the first thing that she could think of. She raised her hand and slapped Nathan right across the face. "You promised you wouldn't hurt her. We trusted you with her after everything she's been through. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"She doesn't deserve this."

"Let her decide that. She's had one guy think he could make a decision for her and that one was a doozy."

Nathan's eyes bored into Peyton. "Do not compare me to him."

"You reek, Nathan. I don't know if she ever told anyone this except me, but I'm going to tell you. One of the things she remembers best about that night was how drunk he smelled. Probably like you smell now. But she's come here every day because she loves you. She puts up with it because she loves you."

Nathan felt his heart shatter. The last thing he ever wanted was for Haley to be reminded of the guy who raped her. He'd done just that.

"Did she say anything?"

"No," Peyton answered. "She wouldn't, would she?" Peyton looked at Nathan as he thought. She saw the wheels turning. This was good. At least he was reacting and showing some signs of life. "What in the world did you do that made her leave, Nathan?"

He didn't answer. He looked at the glass on the floor where he'd thrown the bottle.

Peyton followed his gaze. She had wondered what had happened with that bottle. "Nathan, did that bottle hit Haley?"

"No," he answered quickly.

"Then what happened?"

Nathan knew he had to answer. It actually felt good to talk to someone even if he felt like it should be Haley.

"Sam was standing in the doorway when I threw it. I didn't know he was there."

Again, Peyton slapped him. Nathan made no move to smooth the pain on his now pink jaw. "I know," he whispered. "I know how much I screwed up. Peyton, I would never hurt Sam. I'd rather die."

Peyton stood up. "You fix this, or so help me, I'll break your other knee."

* * *

**Note:** Thank you for the reviews! You guys are great! I hope you liked this chapter. I know it got ugly there.


	35. Chapter ThirtyFour

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** I don't love how this chapter turned out, but it gets done what needed to get done. WARNING: I will be changing the rating in the next chapter to M. That doesn't mean the M rated chapter is coming next. It just means it is coming. Eventually. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

* * *

Nathan sat up. A cold sweat covered his body and he tried to control his breathing. Three nights in a row, the same thing. Whenever he went to sleep, he would wake up after a few hours. He was always in a cold sweat and he was always struggling to catch his breath. He'd been having nightmares ever since he talked to Peyton. He could hear Haley screaming. It was the worst sound he'd ever heard. It was a gut-wrenching, painful scream. He would run down a hallway to find her, but the hallway seemed to be endless. When he finally reached her, she was almost unrecognizable.

He needed to see that she was okay. He needed to hold her in his arms and know that no one had hurt her. That wasn't going to happen though. Someone had hurt her and the worst part was that Nathan knew that it was he who had done it. Peyton had told him to fix it, but he wasn't ready for that yet.

* * *

Sam sat in the backseat of the car. He watched as his mother drove them to Andre's house. That morning, Sam had noticed that it looked like his mother had been crying. He'd noticed that she looked sad for a few days now. Ever since they last visited Nathan. Sam didn't like to think about that day. He loved Nathan, but he didn't like being around Nathan when he was so sad. That day had been scary and Haley had been sad ever since.

"Mommy, how long can I stay at Andre's?"

"A few hours, baby."

"Okay. I brought my basketball. Andre's mom got him a hoop like mine."

Haley smiled. Her son had come to love basketball and he loved playing with Andre.

"You'll be a good boy for Mrs. Fields, right?" Haley was kneeling in front of Sam as she dropped him off.

Sam nodded and hugged his mother. "I love you mommy. I hope you won't be sad anymore."

Haley was taken aback. She'd been trying to hide her melancholy from Sam. She didn't want him to know just how badly she was feeling over what was happening with Nathan. "I'll be fine, sweetie," she whispered to him.

Sam and Andre were upstairs in Andre's room. The two were in the middle of completing a Lego set.

"What's wrong?"

Andre had been looking at Sam for a while now, trying to figure out what was wrong with his friend.

Sam took a few seconds to think. "Mommy's sad."

"How come?"

Again, Sam took a few seconds to think. "Because Nathan is sad and not getting better."

"Do you think she'll stop being sad soon?"

"I dunno. I wish she would stop being sad."

"Can't you fix it?"

"How?"

"I dunno."

Sam locked two Lego pieces together and attached them to a larger piece. He looked at the picture on the instructions to make sure he was right.

"Nathan could probably make her not be sad. If he got better," Sam told Andre.

"You should ask him to help. I'll go get the phone." Before Sam could reply, Andre had run to the other room. He returned quickly, the phone in his hand. "Do you know Nathan's phone number?"

"Mommy put it in my backpack with Aunt Brooke's and Aunt Peyton's and Lucas's." Sam pulled a piece of paper out of the pocket of his backpack. Haley had placed it there in case of an emergency. Sam took the phone from Andre and dialed. After a few seconds, Sam set the phone down. "He didn't answer."

"Maybe you should go visit him."

"I don't think mommy wants to go there right now."

"Oh." Andre set the phone aside and returned to the Lego set. It was several minutes before he spoke again. "Maybe we should go visit Nathan now."

Sam stopped what he was doing and looked at his friend like he was crazy. "We're not allowed to go out with an adult."

"But you said your mommy is sad. Maybe this will help her."

Sam thought about that. He did want his mother to not be sad anymore. He wanted her to be happy and Sam knew that Nathan made her happy. Or, he had.

"Do you know where Nathan lives?"

Sam shook his head. "But Lucas does."

"Won't Lucas tell your mom? Maybe you should tell Lucas you want to send Nathan a card or something."

"Maybe we shouldn't lie." Sam again turned to the Lego set. He stopped, though. "Okay, I'll call Lucas."

Andre passed the phone to Sam and Sam looked at his piece of paper again. He dialed Lucas.

"Hi, Lucas. This is Sam James."

"Sam, what's going on? Are you okay?"

Sam looked at Andre and crossed his fingers behind his back. "I want to send Nathan a card since mommy and me aren't visiting."

"Okay."

"Can you tell me where Nathan lives?"

"Can't you ask your mom for that?"

Sam again made sure to cross his fingers behind his back. "She's sad about Nathan."

"Okay. Do you have a piece of paper?"

"Yes."

"Okay, here we go." Lucas told Sam Nathan's address, spelling out the street and city for him.

Sam hung up with Lucas and looked at Andre.

"Now what?"

"We could take the bus?"

"How do we know we'll get to Nathan's house?"

Andre thought. "Daddy has a magnet on the refrigerator with a taxi cab on it. Maybe it has a number we can call."

"Don't those cost money?"

"I have a piggy bank."

"Thanks, Andre. You're a good friend."

Andre shrugged it off and left the room again.

After making their phone call, Sam and Andre tried to head downstairs as quietly as they could. Mrs. Fields noticed them and asked them what they were doing. Making sure his mother didn't see, Andre crossed his fingers behind his back. "We were gonna play in the yard."

"Don't go far," Mrs. Fields told them. The two boys nodded and headed outside.

* * *

Nathan took a drink from the bottle in his hand. He wiped the residual moisture from his lips with the back of his hand before making his way to the living room. Before he could make it, he heard the doorbell ring. No one had come by to visit in several days and anyone who would had a key, so the doorbell would be unnecessary. Curiously, Nathan made his way to the door. He looked through the peephole, but didn't see anyone. He then opened the door and was shocked at the sight in front of him.

Sam and Andre stood at Nathan's front door. They both looked like they'd done something wrong. Nathan looked beyond them, wondering if Haley was there. All he saw was a cab.

"We didn't have the right amount of money," Sam explained when he noticed Nathan looking at the cab.

Nathan looked at the overcast sky. The news had predicted rain today, but Nathan hadn't been so sure. It was early July in Los Angeles. It didn't make sense that it would rain. Nathan beckoned the cab driver over with his hand.

"Come on in," Nathan told Sam and Andre. Nathan went over to the side table and reached for his wallet. "How much do they owe you?" The cab driver was now standing in the doorway.

"Twelve even."

Nathan handed the guy a twenty dollar bill. "What were you thinking taking two four year-olds without an adult?"

"Hey, Scott, they said they could pay and that it was an emergency." The driver took his money and left, muttering something under his breath.

Nathan closed the door behind him and looked down at Sam and Andre.

Sam studied Nathan. He'd changed since he'd seen him a few days earlier. "Where did your wheelchair go?"

Nathan leaned on his crutches. "I don't need it anymore."

"Are you getting better?"

Nathan could hear the hesitation in Sam's voice. He guessed the boy was remembering what happened the last time he'd been there.

"Sam, does your mom know you're here?"

Sam shook his head.

"Andre?"

Andre shook his head.

"You two snuck out and came here? You know you're not supposed to do that."

"We know," Andre answered.

Nathan thought about what to do. They'd both done something very dangerous. "You're both on a timeout while I call your mom."

"No!" Sam followed Nathan as he tried to walk away.

"Sam, you know I have to call your mom. She's probably worried sick."

"But I came to talk to you 'cause she's sad."

Nathan looked down at Sam and sighed. He knew that Haley would be sad. He had caused it. He was trying to make it right, he just wasn't sure he could yet. He'd been trying for her and for Sam for days now.

Nathan considered putting Andre on a timeout while he talked to Sam, but that didn't seem fair. They were both equally guilty. "Come on, Andre." Nathan led them into the game room. He turned on the video game console and handed Andre the controller. "You're still in trouble. After Sam and I talk, we're going home. Got it?"

Both boys nodded. Nathan hobbled out of the room and into the living room. Sam followed. Nathan lowered himself to the sofa gingerly. Sam set his backpack down. He looked back at the wall where Nathan had thrown the bottle days earlier. It had been cleaned up. He turned back to Nathan.

"I think you drink too much."

Nathan knew he shouldn't be surprised that Sam would make such an observation. "You're right," he agreed. "I'm not drinking anymore. Just water." Before Sam could say anything else, Nathan knew what he had to do. Nearly hurting Sam had been one of the worst things he had ever done. He wished he could take it back. He wished for that more than he wished for his knee to heal completely so he could play again. "Sam, I need to apologize to you. I never wanted to hurt you. That's the last thing I want to ever happen and I am so sorry that I threw that bottle and it almost hit you. I'm sorry that I haven't been a very nice person since my accident. I love you, Sam."

Sam looked at Nathan. He really didn't have a reason not to believe him. "Are you getting better now?"

Nathan nodded. "I am. I've been going to physical therapy and I don't need the wheelchair anymore. I stopped drinking after you and your mom left."

"Are you still sad about basketball?"

Nathan looked down at his knee, which he had propped up on the coffee table with a pillow under it. "Yeah. I'm still sad about that. But I was more sad about your mom and you leaving."

"Mommy's really sad, Nathan. Can you fix it?"

Nathan winced. He wanted that more than anything, but he wanted to have a few more sessions at therapy and at least a week without drinking before he went to see Haley. He knew he would have to go see her. That would be the best way for him to try and fix the mess he made.

"I don't know," Nathan told Sam honestly. He felt that had he eventually come around, Haley would have accepted what had happened and forgiven him. But he had nearly hurt Sam and that changed everything.

"Can you try?"

* * *

Nathan, Sam, and Andre stepped out of the cab. Both boys were huddled underneath an umbrella that Nathan had brought from home, trying to keep dry from the falling rain. They made their way up the walkway to Haley's front door. Sam was about to use his key to open the door when it flew open. A frantic looking Haley appeared on the other side. She barely had time to register the shock of seeing Nathan when she looked down and saw Sam and Andre.

"Samuel Nathan James!" She kneeled in front of him and pulled him into a tight hug. "Where in the world have you two been? Mrs. Fields called and we called the police."

"We went to see Nathan," Sam quietly answered.

Haley looked at Sam and then up at Nathan. This was the first time she'd really looked at him in several days. When she noticed that Sam had come home, she'd barely registered Nathan's presence in her relief.

"They took a cab," Nathan explained further. His voice sounded just as guilty as Sam's.

"You took a cab to Nathan's house? You're both in a lot of trouble," Haley declared. "I'm going to call Mrs. Fields and the police and then we're going to talk about what happened."

While Haley was gone, Nathan turned to Sam. He wanted to kneel so that he was eye level with Sam, but he couldn't. Instead, he looked at him earnestly. "You know you're in trouble."

"I know."

"Sam, what you did was not smart. But coming to me for your mom, after what happened, that was brave. That took a lot of courage. Just don't do anything like that again."

Sam nodded his head. "Are you gonna try and fix it?"

Nathan didn't get the chance to answer. Haley returned. Her hands were on her hips and her expression was serious. She was about to open her mouth to speak when the phone rang. She was briefly on the phone with Brooke, telling her that Sam was fine and home now.

Sam and Andre both told Haley their story as Nathan stood near the wall, watching on. He wasn't sure what he should do. He considered texting Lucas to come pick him up, but Sam wanted him to try and fix things. Nathan wanted that too. He hadn't felt ready before Sam showed up, but now he saw this as his opportunity.

Nathan didn't know where to begin. He had time to think about it. Andre's mom had come to pick him up. She apologized profusely to both Haley and Nathan for what Andre and Sam had done. All three adults were grateful that the boys were safe, but couldn't believe that they'd taken a cab to Nathan's house. Once Mrs. Fields and Andre had left, Haley marched Sam upstairs. He was to stay in his room, not touch his toys, or play any of his games until Haley said he could.

Haley took some time upstairs before she walked back downstairs to face Nathan. The past few days had been rough. She hadn't been sure of her relationship with Nathan. It was the first time she'd ever doubted their relationship and that terrified her. Now he was standing in her living room. He was standing. He wasn't using the wheelchair. He was standing, albeit on one leg. Something must have happened in the past few days. At the very least, Haley had to go downstairs and thank him for bringing Sam home.

She slowly made her way down. She felt her hands go clammy. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she turned in the direction of the living room. She saw Nathan standing near the window. She realized that he'd been there a while now and had been standing the entire time.

"You should sit down," she said, breaking the silence.

Nathan looked at her and offered a small smile. He made his way to the sofa and carefully sat down. Haley took a seat in the chair next to the sofa. The two sat in silence. Neither was sure what to say and neither was sure which one should speak first.

"Thank you for bringing him back," Haley began. "I'm sorry if he bothered you."

"He's never bothered me," Nathan said quickly, without any hesitation.

Again, they sat in silence. Haley smoothed out her skirt. She looked at Nathan. "You cut your hair."

Sure enough, Nathan had cut off the hair he'd been growing since the playoffs. It was now short and clean, but he still had a beard.

Unconsciously, Nathan ran his hand through his hair. It was the first thing he did after his first physical therapy session. He realized that Haley was making small talk and he could tell she was nervous. He was going to have to man up and do this. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He looked at her, looking right into her beautiful brown eyes. "I'm sorry, Hales."

Haley could hear how much he meant that. She wanted to run into his arms and hug him. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to hold him, but she couldn't. He almost hurt Sam and he pushed her away. So, she sat in silence.

Nathan waited for Haley to say something. He wanted some encouragement for what he was doing. He wanted to know if she was at least responsive. She kept quiet and the longer the silence went on, the more nervous Nathan became. He scratched his chin and began talking.

"I'm sorry for pushing you away. I'm sorry for being an ass. I'm sorry for telling you I have nothing. I'm sorry that I made you think I didn't care, because I do. I'm sorry I almost hurt Sam. I would rather die than hurt Sam, Haley. I love him so much. I don't think I could love him more if he was my own son. I'm sorry for the drinking and I'm sorry for hurting you."

Haley began fiddling with her fingers, turning the ring on her pinky. She bit her lower lip and tried to keep the tears at bay. She'd wanted this for weeks now. She wanted him to somehow show that he cared about her still. She felt like he still did throughout all of it. But he was doing such a good job at pushing her away.

"I'll call Lucas to come and get me. I'm sorry, Haley. I love you."

Nathan was just pulling his phone from his pocket when Haley stopped him.

"Why?"

He looked up at her and could see the tears forming. He knew she would want to know why he acted the way he did. This was it. This was his chance to lay it all out on the line and explain everything he was feeling to her and hope that she would take him back. He didn't deserve it, but he wanted nothing more.

"Why did you do it, Nathan?" Haley had to keep her voice low to keep herself from crying.

"Because I'm an idiot, Haley. I feel… I feel like I don't know who I am or what I'm supposed to do with my life. I've only ever had basketball." Now that Nathan was talking, he couldn't stop. These were the thoughts that had been in his head since the accident and he was finally voicing them to the person he cared about most in the world. "I don't know who I am without basketball and I don't even know how to figure it out."

"Nathan-,"

"Haley, I pushed you away because I didn't want you to have to deal with that. I thought you'd be better off without having to worry about some cripple who already didn't deserve you."

Haley looked at him incredulously.

Nathan continued, "You've been through a lot. You've survived so much. I just didn't want to put you through anything more. I know I was stupid and I know I hurt you more than if I'd just told you all of this in the first place. A part of me did it because I was mad too. I was mad at what happened, but mostly I just wanted to make it easier for you."

Haley finally interrupted him, "Nathan, there's no logic in that."

"I know that now. It wasn't easy trying to push you away. It's one of the reasons I started drinking. If I was drunk, it made it a little easier to act like I didn't care. I took a few drinks after you and Sam left the other day but then I stopped. I haven't had one since. Haley, that… I can't believe I did that and I would never want to hurt him."

"I know that," Haley said. "I know you'd never want to hurt him."

"But I did. I know you can't trust me right now, but I'm going to do whatever I can to get that back." Nathan was now feeling somewhat better. He didn't know how Haley was feeling about this, but he knew that he'd finally told her what he was feeling and he was telling her what his plans were. He was laying everything on the table and he couldn't even stop himself now.

"I've been to physical therapy every day since you guys left. It's only been a few sessions, but I'm working on it. I want to get better. Even if I don't play again, and I probably won't. I'm done sitting around and being an ass. I know I don't deserve it, but I'm not giving up on us. I hope you won't give up on me, but I know I have a lot of work to do for that. I love you, Haley, and I shouldn't have pushed you away like that."

"How many times did I tell you I'd be there with you through everything, Nathan?"

"Every day."

"And you didn't believe me?"

"I did believe you, Haley. I just thought you shouldn't have to."

Haley ran her hand along her face. She was frustrated. "You don't get to make that decision for me. And how dare you say you didn't deserve me in the first place. You have me on this pedestal, Nathan, and that's ridiculous! I'm not perfect. I was a mess when we met. You know how scared I was of this relationship! You're the one I chose to finally let go with. I chose you to finally do something for myself. You're the one I fell in love with. Shouldn't that mean that you do deserve me? I fell in love with you, Nathan. That's all there is to it. You should have believed me and believed in us."

"I do, Haley. I always have. I never stopped. I believed in us. I just didn't believe in me."

"Do you now?"

Nathan shrugged, "Hales, I have no idea what to do with my life. I know that I have to get better and then maybe once I do that I can figure it out. I know that I want to do that with you, but if you can't do that, I get it. I'll still do it. I won't drink and sit around angry anymore. I get it if you don't want me because of what happened with Sam. But I do love you, Hales. More than anything."

Haley let a few tears fall, finally. "I do want you, Nathan. I love you so much. That's why this hurts so much."

"I will prove to you that it won't happen again, Hales. If you'll let me, I'll prove it. I'll work so hard. I'll call Lucas to come get me. I'll give you your space."

"I think that's a good idea," Haley told him.

They didn't have to wait long for Lucas to arrive. When he came to the door, he was smiling at the sight of his brother at Haley's house. He didn't know what happened, but the fact that Nathan was out of the house and at Haley's house had to be a good sign.

Nathan and Lucas made their way back to Lucas's car. Before getting in, Nathan turned around and made his way back to Haley's front door. She was standing there, watching them. The rain was falling on his face, but he approached Haley, standing right in front of her. He leaned in, balancing on his crutches. Without waiting for her reaction, he kissed her on the cheek.

Haley felt his beard against her cheek as Nathan kissed her. She allowed herself to close her eyes and revel in the feeling. It had been so long and she missed it so much. She opened her eyes when she heard him speak.

"I have therapy in the morning. Can I bring you lunch afterward? Like I used to? Please?"

Haley couldn't find her voice. She was surprised he'd been so forward in kissing her. He'd always let her take the lead in their relationship. She liked that he did it, though. She liked that he was trying and that he was making sure she knew he was serious. She realized she couldn't leave him standing in the rain any longer and nodded her head. "Okay. Tomorrow."

* * *

**Note:** Writing four year-olds is hard. Sorry about that. Anyway, I ended that chapter on a hopeful note. Hope you liked it and thanks for reviewing!


	36. Chapter ThirtyFive

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** I am sooooooo sorry this took so long! I was having trouble thinking I didn't know where this chapter was going and then it took on a mind of its own. Thank you for your reviews! They make me happy.

* * *

"You know how dangerous that was, right?" Haley was sitting with Sam at the small table in their kitchen. They'd just eaten breakfast. Haley had been thinking all morning since she woke up. She thought about Nathan and how he came and apologized. Sam had been right, Nathan had fixed it. They weren't back to normal, but Haley was feeling like they would get there and she hadn't felt that in a while. She was scared to death, though, about what Sam had done.

On the one hand, it warmed her heart to know he cared that much at such a young age. But, she also didn't want to think about what could have possibly happened to him and Andre.

"I've always told you to stay away from strangers, Sam. Unless you're with an adult, you stay away from strangers. Most people," she began, "are good people. But there are some who like to hurt people. There are some who like to hurt little kids like you and like Andre. I know nothing happened to you, but it could have, Sam."

"But you were sad," he protested.

Haley sighed. "I was sad, but that sadness is nothing compared to what I would feel if something had happened to you. That's why you're grounded, Sam. I don't know for how long, but it won't be short. No TV, no movies, no video games, and no play dates with Andre. You're coming to the studio with me today and you're going to behave. I asked you yesterday to be a good boy for Mrs. Fields and you weren't. You're going to be a good boy for me, right?"

"I promise. Pinky swear." Sam held his small hand out for Haley, extending his pinky.

Haley couldn't help it and linked her pinky with his. "You know you can't break your promise now. Now, go upstairs and get your shoes on so we can go."

As Sam slowly climbed the stairs, Haley chewed on her lip. She still wasn't sure this was real. She'd felt like Nathan hadn't cared, but everything he'd said the day before said otherwise. She wanted to believe it. She wanted to be able to hold him and get their relationship back to where it was. She couldn't. That dark side of Nathan was one she was still hesitant about. She needed to be sure he wasn't going to go back to that and possibly hurt her and Sam again. She couldn't take that chance. If he wanted to prove that he was going to get better, then she would give him that chance. She loved him too much not to.

Haley was curious to see what would happen during lunch. They had always been upfront with each other about their feelings and the fact that Nathan worked so hard to conceal his feelings worried her. She didn't want to go back to that.

She thought back to the kiss he'd given her before he left. She didn't love the beard, but she had to admit, he looked pretty good standing there in the rain after he'd kissed her. He'd taken charge and it was sexy.

* * *

Nathan hobbled to the benches nearby. He'd just finished therapy for the day and had taken a shower. He ran his hand over his beard. He knew he should shave soon, but it was uncomfortable standing in front of the mirror on one leg. It would have to wait. Right now, he had more important things going on.

After dressing, Nathan looked in the small mirror that was in the clinic's bathroom. He smoothed out his hair, trying to make it presentable. He looked down at the khaki shorts and dark green polo he'd chosen. He wished he'd looked nicer, but he also didn't want to seem like he was too eager. He was definitely eager. Haley was giving him a chance and he wasn't going to waste it. He just didn't want it to seem like he was pushing her.

Nathan found Lucas sitting on a bench outside the clinic waiting for him. Nathan had lucked out. After four days of therapy, the paparazzi had yet to find out that he was there. They hadn't bothered him once and he was grateful. It was bad enough that the world knew he was done with basketball. He didn't need photographers in his face while he was trying to put his life back together.

"How did you get here those first couple of days before you asked me for a ride?" Lucas had a lot of questions and Nathan hadn't exactly been forthcoming.

For Nathan's part, he felt like he needed to get started on his recovery completely on his own. The people who loved him and tried to help him he had pushed away and treated horribly. If he needed help, he would ask for it eventually. But for now, he was content to do what he could on his own.

"I took a cab," Nathan answered.

"You could have called," Lucas told him.

"I know. This is something I have to do on my own. I can't really explain it, Luke."

"Just call when you need help," Lucas pleaded with Nathan.

"I will." Nathan got into the passenger seat of Lucas's new car. "I'm sorry for being a dick."

Lucas shrugged, "You were going through a rough time. We all knew you'd come around."

"Doesn't make it right."

"No. But we love you anyway." Lucas began driving in the direction of Haley and Peyton's office. He and Nathan sat in a comfortable silence. It was the first comfortable silence they'd shared in over a month. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What made you turn around and start getting it together?"

Nathan didn't want to tell Lucas that Peyton had yelled at him. He wasn't sure how Lucas would react. He also didn't want Lucas to know exactly what Peyton had told him because he didn't know that Haley had been raped. The truth was that although Peyton's tirade had helped, it was a combination of that and of what happened with Sam. Seeing Sam in that doorway had been a sobering moment and had really hit Nathan. The gravity of what his behavior was doing hit him like a Mack truck.

"I had a little wake up call," Nathan answered. "I don't want to get into it. I needed it and I'm working on things now."

"Like Haley."

"Like Haley. I really screwed up with her."

"Yeah. I was surprised when you called from there yesterday. I can't believe Sam lied to me."

"He's in a lot of trouble."

"So, what's your plan with Haley?"

"I'm gonna take things slow. I'm gonna go to therapy when I'm scheduled, not drink, and prove to her she can trust me again."

"Sounds smart."

"I hope so. I hope she'll take me back."

Lucas looked over and saw how pensive Nathan looked. He felt for his brother. He knew he'd eventually snap out of his funk, but Lucas hoped that it wouldn't get to the point where he and Haley's relationship was strained more. He wanted to take Nathan's mind off of it for a bit. Lucas knew that Nathan was hard on himself. Thanks to Dan's influence, as confident as Nathan was, he could also be insecure. Lucas saw it a lot in his relationship with Haley, but he wasn't sure anyone else did. Anyone else would assume that cocky Nathan Scott would be the same way with his personal life that he was on the basketball court. Lucas knew better. Lucas knew that Dan had told Nathan he wasn't good at anything except basketball and that he needed improvement even there. Lucas knew all too well that Nathan felt he hadn't deserved someone as great as Haley. Whenever anyone – a reporter or a friend – joked about how Nathan managed to snag Haley James, Nathan had seriously asked himself that same question, thinking that he probably shouldn't have.

"So, lunch sounds like a great idea. I'll grab something for Peyton and me too."

"No," Nathan quickly objected.

"Whoa. Why not?"

"No, I mean. I guess. It's just, this is my chance with Haley. I've got a lot of work to do and I was kind of hoping it would just be us."

"Okay, I get it. I'll take Peyton out to lunch."

"Thanks, man."

* * *

Peyton watched Haley over the top of her laptop. She tried to keep Haley from noticing. She watched as Haley tried to work. Tried. Haley was fidgeting. She was biting her lip. Haley was nervous, but Peyton didn't know why. Peyton glanced over to the couch. Sam was sitting there, coloring. Peyton was under instructions not to speak to Sam and Haley had promised she'd explain later. The entire day, Haley and Sam had been quiet, each working on their own – Haley on music and Sam on his coloring.

"Why are you nervous?" Peyton finally just asked. She'd always preferred to be straightforward.

"Tutor Mom's nervous? About what? Hey there, Sam! How's the most handsome man I know? And where were you yesterday?" Brooke breezed into the office. She sat next to Sam, putting her arm around his shoulders.

"We're not supposed to talk to him," Peyton informed Brooke.

"Why? What's going on?" Brooke looked from Haley to Sam to Peyton and back again.

Haley set down her pen and looked at Sam. "Do you want to tell them or should I?"

"You can do it," Sam said softly.

Haley stood up and took a seat next to her son, who was now sandwiched between her and Brooke.

"He and Andre took a cab and went to visit Nathan."

Brooke and Peyton were both silent. Then, they began speaking at the same time.

"HEY!" Haley shouted to get their attention. "One at a time. He's in a lot of trouble. He's grounded until I say so and he's been told just how dangerous what he did was."

"I can't believe he did that," Peyton marveled.

"Why did he do that?" Brooke was looked at Sam, her eyes wide. "Why did you do that?" She looked directly at Sam.

Before Haley could answer, she saw Nathan come in. Lucas was behind him, carrying a bag of takeout. Haley quickly stood up and smoothed out her skirt. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. "Hi."

"Hi," Nathan smiled when she smiled. He felt a little relieved. At least she was happy to see him.

"I thought we'd go out," she said, noticing that Lucas had food with him.

"Oh, we can if you want. I just sort of figured that since Sam was grounded that he'd be here with you and wouldn't really be allowed to go out. So, I just brought us all something."

That was considerate. That was something a good father would think of, Haley thought. It had only been a day, but he really was trying. Haley was nervous, though. She needed to wait a little longer to be sure that he was going to keep up with this behavior.

She also couldn't control the butterflies in her stomach. It was like they were just starting out their relationship instead of having been together for eight months.

Nathan turned to Lucas. "Thanks for the ride."

Lucas took the hint and nodded. He set the food down on the table and turned to his girlfriend. "I thought you and I should go to lunch. What do you say?"

Peyton eyed Nathan. He was out of the chair. He seemed sober. More importantly, he was here. Without looking away, Peyton responded to Lucas, "That sounds great." Peyton and Lucas left, leaving Brooke still sitting on the sofa with Sam.

"You didn't bring me lunch?"

"Sorry, Brooke. I didn't know you'd be here."

"You're forgiven. Have a nice lunch." Brooke stood up and walked over to Nathan. She leaned in to hug him, surprising him. She whispered ever so softly, making sure Haley and Sam didn't hear her. "Hurt her again, I will kill you." With that, Brooke sauntered out of the room.

"Did she threaten you?"

"No," Nathan lied.

"I thought we were being honest." Haley knew why he had just lied to her, but she wanted him to be completely honest with her about everything. Even if it was something trivial.

"Yes. They're protective. I know. I don't blame them."

"I don't need coddling."

"I think we all know that, Hales. We just don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"Yeah. Well." Haley looked away, the back to Nathan. She noticed him shift as he leaned on his crutches. "You should sit down."

"Thanks." Nathan took a seat next to Sam. "Hey, buddy. How's it going?"

"Uh," Haley sat in the chair next to the sofa. "He's not really allowed to do much talking today."

Nathan nodded. "Okay. I get it." Nathan wanted a chance to really talk to Haley, but he knew he couldn't with Sam there. He wanted that, but he was happy just to be able to be around them. It was the best he'd felt since before the accident.

"You went to that little Thai place I like?" Haley noticed the bag on the table and recognized the restaurant's logo.

"Yeah, I hope that's okay."

"It's great. Thank you," she began getting the food out and setting it in front of the three of them.

"I'm trying, Hales."

"I know," she said, looking into those blue eyes she got lost in so easily. "Come on, buddy. Timeout break for lunch."

Sam scooted forward on the sofa and looked at his lunch. "Hi, Nathan!"

"Hey, Sam. How's it going today?"

"I've been grounded all day."

"So, not so good then. It's for your own good, you know?"

Sam nodded.

They began eating. The silence wasn't awkward, but it also wasn't comfortable. Haley cleared her throat, wiping her lips softly with a napkin.

"So, how's therapy been?"

Nathan finished chewing his food before he answered. "It's good," he told her. "Hard work, but it's paying off already. I'm out of that stupid chair. Makes things easier."

"That's good. I'm glad." She looked at him and smiled. She really was glad to hear that he seemed happy about being out of the chair. He was showing that he did want to be better. She took in his appearance. He looked better than he had since the accident, even if he did have a beard. He'd cut his hair and it was neatly combed. It wasn't just that. He just looked healthier. He didn't look so beaten, defeated, and angry. He was starting to look like himself again and that gave Haley hope.

Nathan could tell that Haley was watching him. She was studying him and he wished he knew what she was thinking. He thought about how selfish he'd been in his attempts to keep Haley from getting hurt. He decided a change in subject was needed.

"How has work been?"

Haley hadn't expected him to ask about that. He used to ask all the time before the accident. He was always interested in what she was doing. Since the accident, it had all been about him and getting him better. He'd ignored her. He'd said it was to protect her and to get her to leave. Now he was taking an interest.

"Oh, it's been okay, I guess."

"You guess?"

Haley shrugged. "Honestly, my heart hasn't been in it much."

Nathan looked down at his food and moved some of the noodles around with his fork. "I'm sorry."

"I know you are. And I'm just being honest with you like I want you to be with me."

Nathan nodded. "I know."

"It hasn't all been like that, Nathan. I just haven't been much help with the producing end. I've actually been writing a lot, so that's good."

"Do you think you're gonna record soon?"

"I don't know. I'm still just writing. But I think I'll get an album out of this." Haley wondered if he caught on to her double meaning. She was hoping that she'd get an album out of her writing, but her writing was coming out of the situation that they'd been in. The writing, and the album, were coming from a very emotional place.

"I can't wait to hear it," Nathan said.

Haley took a bite of food so she didn't have to answer him. She wondered how he'd react when he realized that a lot of what she'd been writing was about their current situation.

They fell into silence again, but this time it was more comfortable than awkward. As they were finishing their food, Nathan looked at Haley. She looked slightly tense. She looked like she didn't know what was coming next. He wanted to do something to make it better.

"I ate," were the first words that came to his mind, and therefore from his mouth.

"Before you came here?" Haley was confused.

"No. The food you'd leave. Every day. I always ate it after you left. Thank you." He just wanted her to know that what she did was appreciated, even if he didn't show it at the time.

Haley tried not to cry. It seemed silly crying over something so trivial. It seemed ridiculous. But it was something. It was something that let her know that through all of that he did feel something. Even if that something was so simple as eating a sandwich.

Haley started picking up trash, putting it into the empty bag that had carried the food. She was trying to give herself something to do. "I was thinking, um, when Lucas gets back with Peyton, you don't have to go. I still have some work to do, but if you don't mind waiting, Sam and I can drive you home."

If Nathan could have, and if it hadn't made him seem too eager, he would have jumped up and cheered. She was asking to spend time with him. It was better than he'd hoped for. He came to the studio just hoping to spend some time with her and slowly work his way back to her. Now she was asking to spend time with him. He tried to contain his excitement.

"I don't mind waiting. That would be great. I'd love it if you guys drove me to my place." Nathan was careful not to say that it was his home. It wasn't, because his home was with Haley. He wasn't welcome back home yet, but he was hoping it would be soon.

"Okay. Like I said, I just have a few more things to do." Haley turned her back and walked back to her desk.

Before Haley could turn and notice, Sam gently tapped Nathan on the elbow. When Nathan turned to look, Sam held his fist out for Nathan. Nathan couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. He extended his own fist, connecting it with Sam's. Quietly, both opened their hands, mimicking an explosion. They were seated normally, both being quiet, by the time Haley got back to her desk and sat at it.

This was the happiest Nathan had felt in weeks. He wasn't doing anything. He was just sitting in Haley's office. But, he was in Haley's office. He was sitting just feet away from the two people he loved most in the world and they both wanted him there even though he wasn't who he once was.

He couldn't help the feeling of peace he got just from sitting there. He would occasionally look at Haley as she worked. He loved watching her work. She was so deep in concentration, making sure to be careful with everything she did. Sometimes, she would bite her lip. Sometimes, she would play a sample of music and would write down her notes about it. She took her work seriously.

Haley could tell that Nathan was watching her and she tried to concentrate. Finding herself under his intense gaze was giving her butterflies. At one point when she looked up, she caught him staring. He smiled sheepishly, but before that she could swear she saw the love she'd seen before everything had happened. It was such a welcome sight after the nothingness and anger that had been there previously.

As he sat there watching Haley work, Nathan was thinking. This was going well and he wanted to make sure that it kept going that way. He wanted to suggest the three of them get dinner before heading to his house, but he didn't want to push his luck. As Nathan continued to think, he felt his palms getting sweaty. He felt his insecurities getting to him again. He knew he couldn't do that, because that's what got them into trouble in the first place. He took a few breaths and tried to calm himself down.

"Are you okay?" Haley watched as Nathan rubbed his hands along his shorts and took a few deep breaths.

Nathan had thought that Haley was busy working and wouldn't notice his nerves. He hoped his nerves weren't noticeable, but they were.

"I'm fine. It's nothing," he answered.

Haley got a little frustrated. She didn't want to sound like she was reprimanding Nathan, but he was supposed to be honest with her. "Nathan…"

"It's silly, Hales, and it's not important."

"You can tell me anything. I'm not going to think you're silly." Haley noticed Nathan look over at Sam. She knew what he was thinking. "We'll talk about this, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Nathan didn't want to tell Haley how nervous he was. He promised her he would be honest, though, so that's what he had to do.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon passed by quietly. As they drove to Nathan's house, they made casual conversation. When they got to the house, Nathan was hoping that Haley had forgotten that she wanted to talk. He was still trying to figure out how to extend their time together. Maybe talking would do that.

They pulled into the driveway and sat in the car, neither sure which one should make the first move. Haley decided to be the one to speak. It felt like the right thing to do. She also couldn't help herself. He was here and he was trying and after everything, she felt like that was everything. She prayed with everything in her that it would last.

"We'll walk you in," Haley offered. "We can talk."

Nathan nodded and the three exited the car. In the house, they stood in the hallway, awkwardly. Nathan thought about going to the living room, but he remembered what happened in there the last time Haley had been there. Instead, he made his way to the kitchen. Going to the refrigerator, he pulled out a juice box for Sam. He had gotten them a while back, knowing that Sam might be spending time there during the summer because of Nathan's pool.

"Sam, sweetie. You're still on a timeout, so I want you to go sit in the den for a few minutes while mommy talks to Nathan."

"Okay," Sam said, turning around and leaving.

"Do you want to sit down?" Nathan headed to the stools at his breakfast bar. He held one out for Haley to sit on.

Haley took a seat and turned to face Nathan as he sat on the stool next to her. "What's going on?"

Nathan looked down at his hands. They had always been calloused because of basketball and now they were getting calloused because of the wheelchair and crutches.

"I guess, I know it's only been a day but it just feels like this is going well and I don't want to screw it up. I'm just scared I'm gonna mess it all up and you'll be gone."

Haley bit on her lip. "You're not going to push me away anymore?"

Nathan's head jerked up. "No. Never again."

"I'm a little scared, Nathan. I know you were going through something huge. You still are. But it still hurt, because you know how I've felt about people wanting me. After what happened, after the rape, I felt like no one would want me. I tried not to let what you were doing hurt me, but it did."

"I'm so sorry, Hales. I just really thought it would be best for you. I know it wasn't. I don't… I never want to make you think about what happened to you. That's the last thing I want, Hales. It was hard, trying to act like I didn't want you because even though I was being a jerk, I was at my worst but it was always a little bit better when you were there. I'm always gonna want you."

"You can say that, Nathan, but-"

"I know. I have to prove it. I have to prove to you that you can trust me not to hurt you again. I'm gonna be patient. As long as it takes."

Haley wiped a few tears from her eyes. "I don't think that's silly, Nathan. What you said back at the office. If you're feeling something, you've got to tell me. I think we should have learned that when I didn't open up to you right away about the rape."

"I think you had a better excuse than I did."

Haley shrugged. She looked at Nathan's face. He was pensive and a bit brooding, much the way Lucas often was during their high school years. "Nathan, I have to tell you something."

"Okay." He looked up at her expectantly.

"The stuff I told you I've been writing, a lot of it has been about what's been going on with us these past few weeks. I just, I write what I feel. It's always been that way. I just don't want you to be blindsided when the material comes out."

Nathan reached over and took Haley's hand in his. They both felt that jolt of electricity they normally felt when they touched. It was like coming home again. He rubbed his thumb along her hand. "I'm fine with you getting through what I did whatever way helps you the most, Hales. If that's your music, I'm sure it's great. I love you."

"I love you, too. And I'm so happy you're working on getting better, Nathan."

"So, um," Nathan was now feeling more comfortable about talking about his feelings, "earlier in the office when I was nervous. It was because I wanted to see if you wanted to have dinner. I know Sam is grounded, but I was hoping maybe tomorrow I could take you out. If it's too soon, I get it. That's fine. I just think it's been a while since we went out and it might be good for us."

"I think that would be nice, Nathan. I'll call Brooke and Peyton to watch Sam. I'll come by and get you at seven?"

"Okay. I'll be ready." Nathan felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He and Haley were really talking and they were making plans. The day had gone better than he'd hoped. He had expected maybe an hour or two with Haley, but he got an entire afternoon. He wasn't certain about asking her for dinner, but when he did, she agreed. She was also still telling him that she loved him. Deciding to take a chance, Nathan leaned in. He gently laid his hand on Haley's cheek. When she closed her eyes to his touch, he took that as a sign to continue. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her lips. She moved her lips with his slightly. It was a small kiss; it was a chaste kiss. It was a kiss that held a lot of promise.

* * *

**Note:** Phew. I'm really looking forward to writing the next few chapters, so I hope that means that happen quickly. Thank you again for the reviews! I hope we can get to 500 soon!


	37. Chapter ThirtySix

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** I know, there was a wait again. Sorry about that. As excited as I've been to write, the time to do it hasn't been there and I want to make sure I write a good chapter for you guys instead of just rushing through it. Thanks for the kind reviews! You guys are great!

**WARNING: CHAPTER RATING WILL CHANGE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

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Just like the day before when she was waiting for Nathan, Haley felt the butterflies in her stomach. She didn't want to be nervous about dinner with Nathan tonight, but she couldn't help it. She'd spent a good amount of time that morning staring at her closet, trying to decide what she should wear that night. She would have just enough time after work to go home and get ready before picking up Nathan. She wanted to look nice. She wanted this to be a new beginning for them. Just as she had the day before, she was finding it difficult to concentrate on work. She was grateful for the distraction when Lucas walked into her office.

"Peyton's at a meeting with another producer," she told him, explaining Peyton's absence.

"Oh, damn. I was hoping to hang out with her while Nathan's at therapy."

"She's been gone for a couple of hours now, so I don't think she'll be much longer. Go ahead and wait if you want."

Lucas looked at his watch, shrugged, and then took a seat.

"When do you have to go get him?"

"I have about two hours."

Haley chewed on her lip. It seemed like Nathan was really working hard with his therapy.

Lucas looked at Haley and could tell she was thinking about Nathan. She must have been since they had just mentioned him.

"Once, when we were in high school, the team was having a bad night. I mean, a really bad night. I wasn't playing because I broke my arm. The team just wasn't delivering."

Haley looked up at Lucas as he spoke, wondering where this story was going.

"Except for Nathan. As always, he was the best one out there. Nathan was playing like a pro all night. It wasn't enough, though. It wasn't enough to beat Oak Lake. He scored twenty-two points with very little help from the other guys. It happens, you know. Sometimes you're just off your game.

"But I remember. I was sitting on the bench and a few rows up from the stands I could hear him yelling at Nathan throughout the entire game. Dan. Nathan was easily the best player out there. He was playing really well, but Dan was yelling at him for the team not winning. Like it was Nathan's fault.

"I know it wasn't the first time Dan did this and it definitely wasn't the last time. Nathan and I weren't close then. I didn't even like the guy then. But, I felt bad for him. I wanted to stand up for him, but I knew it would make it worse.

"He's confident. He can be a cocky son of a bitch, we both know that. But we both also know that if he feels like he isn't his best, he can be really insecure. Dan did a real number on him, Hales. Nathan's away from him now, but sometimes he's still an influence."

Haley nodded. She tried picturing in her head exactly what Lucas was describing. Lucas was right; they both knew that Nathan could be vulnerable. Haley could imagine how Nathan must have felt, trying so hard and being told he wasn't good enough. She couldn't fathom a parent doing that to their child.

"He's, um, he's working really hard," Haley stated.

"He's been stoic and determined. Stoic is a new one for Nathan. He's not going back to what he was last week, Hales. I can feel it."

"I really hope so, Luke."

"You'll see. You two will be back to normal in no time and it'll be like nothing happened."

"That's easier said than done."

Lucas didn't answer Haley. He knew Haley would say something like that. Relationships took work. He knew how much how much they were both hurting without each other, too. He noticed that both of their moods had picked up in the past forty-eight hours. Anyone who knew them could tell the difference.

"Why?" He looked at her and lightly scratched his head.

"Why what?" Haley wasn't sure what he was talking about.

"Why is it easier said than done? I don't get it. I mean, I do. Kind of. I don't know what he did to make you stop coming around the house. I don't know what happened that made him turn things around and work on his recovery. I'm sure if it's causing these trust issues, it must have been big. I don't know. I just think that you two love each other so much that maybe it should be as easily done as it is said. It's none of my business. He doesn't want to talk about it and he seems ashamed of it. I just hate seeing this gap between you two. Especially when neither of you wants it there."

Haley didn't answer, because she didn't know how. A part of her did think that maybe it should be that easy. She just couldn't get that look on Sam's face when Nathan threw that bottle out of her head.

* * *

"You look nervous," Brooke observed, walking into Haley's bedroom later that day.

Haley cocked her head as Brooke and Peyton walked in. She hadn't expected them for another hour or so. She'd just showered and was doing her hair before her date.

"How can you tell I look nervous? I'm doing my hair."

"We've known you for twenty years," Peyton explained.

"Thank you for watching Sam tonight," Haley thanked them.

"Oh, please. We love spending time with him. I'm also excited about this date of yours. I don't know what happened to make Boy Toy get his act together, but it's about time."

Haley didn't know if she wanted to tell them about the bottle and Sam. It didn't paint Nathan in a very flattering light. Peyton and Brooke were both incredibly protective of Haley and Sam. If they knew what had happened, they'd think less of him. Given the self-esteem issues Nathan had been experiencing lately, he didn't need anyone thinking less of him.

Haley continued doing her hair, avoiding answering them. She looked in the reflection of the mirror of the master bathroom. Brooke and Peyton were both standing there, but Peyton wasn't looking at Haley. She had a slight scowl on her face as she stared down at the carpet. Haley knew that look.

"Peyton, what do you know?"

"Wait, why does Peyton know something I don't know? What's going on?" Brooke looked to Peyton, then Haley.

Peyton sighed. She turned and went to sit on the edge of Haley's bed. "Your hair looks great," she told Haley.

"Peyton." Haley had perfected that warning tone with Sam.

"Okay. Earlier this week, I went with Lucas to see Nathan. Lucas had to run out for a bit, so it was just the two of us. I noticed him looking worse than usual and I also noticed the smell. You mentioned the smell."

"The smell?"

Haley hadn't told Brooke about the smell of alcohol. She didn't want Brooke to be hurt that she'd told Peyton and not her. Haley took a deep breath before she spoke. "A few months after I was raped, Peyton brought home a bottle of something. I think it was vodka. My therapist had told me that if something was bothering me, that I should say something. So, I asked Peyton to throw it out because the smell of alcohol reminded me of Damien. He was drunk that night and the smell was strong."

Brooke's mouth opened a bit. "So, Nathan's drinking…"

"He didn't remind me of Damien. Not really. I just smell a lot of alcohol and I remember that night."

"Of course. Peyton told me back then that we should keep less alcohol in the apartment. I just didn't know why."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Brooke."

"Haley, don't worry about it."

"Thanks." Haley bit her lip. In recounting her story to Brooke she nearly forgot that Peyton was in the middle of telling them something. "Peyton, what did you do?"

"Haley, someone needed to tell him what he was doing to you."

"Peyton, what did you say to him? Tell me everything."

"I told him about the smell of alcohol. I told him that as bad as he was, I'd seen worse when I saw you after the attack. Then he told me about the bottle."

Haley couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't believe that Peyton had done that. She was relieved that Nathan knew about the rape and that there were no secrets between them. But, she also partly wished that he didn't have to know about that ugly, painful piece of her past. Now he knew just the extent of what had happened, apparently. He knew that Damien had hit her, because she had explained the scar. She still didn't want him to have to picture just how bad she had looked afterward.

When Peyton and Brooke had brought her home from the hospital, Haley had showered. She needed to get clean. She needed to do whatever she could to get the previous night off of her. After she stepped out of the shower, when she was wrapped in a towel, she had studied her reflection in the mirror. She had looked closely at the stitches on her lip. She had looked at the angry color of her eye. She had looked at her eye, which was swollen shut. She wasn't going to forget what she had looked like. She knew that Brooke, Peyton, and her parents were never going to forget it.

That was before Haley had known that Damien had left lasting, permanent, physical evidence of what he had done to her. She thought the physical evidence of his brutality would be temporary. Her bruises and cuts would heal and the memory would be all that was left. It wasn't, she realized, once she found out that Sam was on the way. As her pregnancy progressed, she came to realize he wasn't going to be a reminder of what had happened, but of what could be. That made all the difference in the world.

Knowing about the bruises, knowing about the pain and the scar in a way that he hadn't known before, Haley now wondered if Nathan would look at her differently. He never had before. When she confessed everything about her past to him, he didn't treat her any differently than he had before he knew. He continued to treat her like he loved her. The only time that he treated her like she had been a victim was when he pushed her away after his accident, not wanting her to suffer more than she already had. Now Haley wondered about how he was reacting now that he knew this. Was this why he came back to her? Was it just because Peyton had made him feel guilty and had compared him to her rapist?

"I wish you hadn't done that, Peyton." Haley didn't know what else to say to her best friend. She knew Peyton was looking out for her, but she felt this was stepping out of bounds.

"I'm sorry, Haley. I just didn't want to see you hurting anymore."

"I know. I know you were looking out for me." Haley turned her attention back to her hair, but her thoughts were on Nathan. She wanted to ask him if Peyton's conversation with him is what made him start working on his recovery. She wanted to know if he was doing it just because he felt guilty. She didn't know how to bring it up. Should she do it when she picked him up? Should she do it during dinner? No. She knew she couldn't do it during dinner. This was definitely a conversation that needed to be carried on in private.

"I'll get it," Brooke announced.

Haley turned around, then heard it again. Her doorbell was ringing. "Thanks, Brooke."

Brooke left, leaving Peyton and Haley in one of the few awkward silences of their friendship.

"I'm not going to sit back and let someone hurt you, Haley. I've seen you hurt before and if I can keep it from happening again, I will. I know Brooke feels the same way."

"This is different, Peyton. This is a lot different."

"Your date is here," Brooke told Haley as she came back.

"How? I'm supposed to pick him up." Haley set down her brush. She wrapped her robe around her and walked downstairs. Sure enough, Nathan was sitting in the living room.

"I was coming to get you," she stated.

Nathan immediately stood up, although he did it slowly. He leaned on one crutch, leaving the other resting against the arm of the sofa.

Nathan looked at her. She was in her robe. It came just to mid-thigh. Her feet were bare and her hair was loosely curled. She hadn't put any makeup on yet.

"You look beautiful," he told her. He hopped forward, using one crutch.

"I'm not even ready yet," she protested. "And what are you doing? Relax your knee, Nathan."

"I'm fine and you look beautiful. These are for you," he held out his hand, a bouquet of small purple flowers in it.

"I'll put them in water."

Nathan turned back for his other crutch, then followed her to the kitchen.

"It just felt kinda weird," he explained. "I used to be the one to pick you up. So, I thought I'd come here. And I left a little early because I didn't want to miss you if you left for my house."

"I haven't even done my makeup yet."

"You look beautiful," he said for a third time.

"Quit trying to butter me up." She smiled as she arranged the flowers in a small vase. "I won't be much longer."

Haley looked at him. He stood in the middle of her kitchen. He wore khaki pants and a light blue button down. The sleeves were rolled up, exposing his forearms. He leaned on his crutches and though he may have been uncomfortable, a contented smile was on his lips. Haley thought back to what Peyton had told him. Looking at him, seeing those beautiful blue eyes of his looking so hopeful, she decided to wait until after dinner to talk to him. She had to talk to him that night, though. She made him promise to be honest, so she had to do the same. She was dreading that discussion, but she was looking forward to their date.

She also remembered what Lucas had told her earlier. Why couldn't it be that easy? Why couldn't she and Nathan get back to where they were before the accident? Haley didn't know. She didn't know what was holding her back. But, she didn't want to be held back. She wanted the man who was standing on one foot in front of her. As she was leaving the kitchen, she stopped in front of him. Gently, she placed both hands on both of his shoulders. She stood on tip toe, because even hunched over crutches, he was taller than she was, and lightly brushed her lips against his cheek. She felt the hair of his beard tickle her lips and she smiled against his cheek.

Nathan watched as she walked back upstairs to get ready. He watched as her hips swayed and her robe with them. She was a klutz. He'd seen her walk into things and trip countless times. But even with that, there was a grace about her that he couldn't describe. Maybe if he was a writer like Lucas he'd be able to, but he couldn't. She had kissed him. It was the first physical contact she had initiated since he started focusing on his recovery. With that one kiss, Nathan couldn't help but think that this night was going to go well.

* * *

Nathan watched as Haley nervously tapped her finger on the steering wheel. The warm night air was coming in through the open windows. They were stopped at a traffic signal and Haley kept her eyes on the light. Nathan reached over to her. His hand covered hers, stopping the tapping. He gently took her hand in his, just holding it.

He had noticed during dinner that she seemed nervous about something. He wanted to ask her about it. He knew he could. They were being honest about everything. Every small detail, they were being honest about. She seemed to be deliberately voiding her nerves as much as she could, so he decided to wait. If he had to wait, he would ask her when they got to his house.

"Thank you for coming to dinner with me tonight."

She smiled. She left her hand in his. She'd missed the warmth of his hands more than she realized. She'd missed how perfectly her small hands fit in his large, capable hands. She quickly looked down at their fingers laced together before turning her attention back to the light. She gave his hand a small squeeze.

"You know, I could have come to get you."

"It felt weird. I'd usually come get you or I'd already be at the house."

"You can't keep taking cabs everywhere."

"Especially since I'm unemployed," he said with a smile.

She turned her head and looked at him sadly.

"It's okay. I'm trying to get used to the idea. Anyway," he changed the subject back, "I can just have Lucas bring me over."

"Or, you could wait for me to come get you."

Nathan decided to take a chance. "Does that mean we get to do this again?"

Haley sighed. "Nathan, of course we do. I'm still your girlfriend. We're just working on getting back to where we were before this. We're not starting from scratch."

Nathan felt a weight leave his shoulders. He lifted their hands and brought them to his lips. He kissed her small hand, smiling.

Again, he decided to take a chance. "So, when you drop me off, what are the chances of you coming in for a little bit to tell me what's been bothering you?"

Haley had one hand still on the steering wheel and again began tapping her finger. "Am I that obvious?"

"I know you, Hales. I could tell something was going on all night."

Haley nodded. The light turned green and she took her foot off of the brake and began driving. "Okay. We'll talk when we get to the house."

She had wanted to talk to him about this somewhere private. A big part of her was glad that he had noticed. Dinner had been nice. It had felt like it used to and she was grateful for that. She kept thinking about what Lucas had said. It had felt like they really were getting back to normal.

She was still thinking about that as she pulled up to his house. She drove the car along the slightly winding driveway, which was obscured by a variety of tall shrubs. She stopped the car in front of the house, and smiled at him, getting out of the car.

When they'd gotten in the restaurant hours earlier, she had rushed to the passenger side of the car, thinking she could help him out of the car. He had told her he could do it himself. It took him a few extra seconds, but he managed it. Again, Haley went to his side of the car. As she got to him, she'd found that he'd already opened the door and had one leg out. He stood on the leg, using his crutches and the door of the car for balance. Haley stood by, in case he needed assistance.

"If you need help, Nathan, ask."

"I will. I'm gonna ask for help if I need it."

They walked inside the house. It wasn't lost on either of them that this was the first time Haley had been back there since the day Nathan had thrown the bottle at the wall. They stood next to each other in the hallway. Nathan momentarily let go of his crutch and took Haley's hand in his.

"Do you want a water?"

"I'm fine," she answered.

"You know, you don't have to tell me what's going on if you don't want to." Nathan wanted them to be honest with each other, but he also wanted her to know that he wasn't going to push her. He always wanted her to know that. He'd never push her into anything she wasn't ready for.

"No, we should talk."

Nathan was a little nervous. He was so worried he would do something to permanently end his relationship with Haley.

"Why don't we go to the den," he suggested.

Even though they didn't spend much time at Nathan's house, Haley still knew where everything was. She stepped aside to let him go first, but he wouldn't allow that. With a smile, he insisted she go on ahead of him.

Walking into the den, Haley noticed the pillows and blanket on the sofa.

"What happened to the living room?"

"Change of scenery, I guess. That sofa is actually more comfortable. Go ahead and sit down."

Haley sat, smoothing out her skirt as she did so. Nathan lowered himself onto the sofa. He placed a throw pillow on the coffee table and propped his knee up.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Hales. It's just good to keep it elevated." They sat in silence. "What's going on?"

Haley looked at him. She began fiddling with the ring on her pinky finger. "Peyton told me that she talked to you."

Nathan hadn't expected that. It hadn't crossed his mind that he and Haley would be talking about the conversation he'd had with Peyton.

"I just, I know how protective Peyton can be and I also know how she can get if she's angry, so I'm sorry she did that."

"I'm not," Nathan interrupted her.

"You're not?"

"No. I was about to get off my ass and work to get you back anyway, but I needed to hear what she said. I needed to have some sense slapped into me. Literally, I guess."

Haley's eyes widened. "Did she hit you?"

Nathan winced. "Um."

"Nathan."

"Yeah. She's just looking out for you, Hales."

"She shouldn't have done that. And I don't want you to feel like you need to do this because you owe me something."

"Stop," he ordered. "Haley, I'm working on my recovery, because you left and I realized I really could lose everything. I'm going to do everything I can for that not to happen. I'm not getting better because I feel guilty. I'm doing it because I don't want to lose what's most important to me. I do feel guilty. But losing you and Sam, that's the big thing here."

Haley looked at him. As with everything he'd told her in the past couple of days, he seemed to be nothing but sincere. She had to believe him.

"I'm sorry she told you about the alcohol and… and how I looked after."

"I'm more sorry you had to go through that. I don't want you to be hurt. I'm sorry I hurt you." He lowered his head and closed his eyes. The last thing he ever wanted was to cause her more pain than she'd already been through.

"Nathan, you've never reminded me of him. Ever. I've told you that before and it's still true. You are nothing like him. You couldn't hurt me the same way he did. You can hurt me. But, that's because I love you so much. I know you'd never do it on purpose. At least not again. And I do know that even though it doesn't make much sense that you hurt me to try and protect me. I know that."

"I love you, Hales. That won't change."

"I love you, too."

"I'm glad you told me what was bothering you."

"Complete honesty, right? It goes both ways."

They sat and talked for a few more minutes. Haley had to get home to Sam, though. He was still grounded and she wasn't sure what kind of fun Brooke and Peyton were letting him have without her there. Haley told Nathan not to walk her out, but he did it anyway. He stood leaning on his crutches at her window after she got into her car. He leaned in and she met him half way, kissing him.

"Thank you for coming to dinner with me."

"I had a really great time. I was thinking, actually. Maybe tomorrow instead of Lucas driving you to therapy that Sam and I could do it?"

Nathan's face lit up and a smile covered his face. "Yeah? That would be great."

"What time do you have to be there?"

"Nine."

"Okay. We'll be here. Goodnight, Nathan. I love you."

"I love you, too."

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**Note:** Again, thank you for reading and reviewing! Like I said above, **the rating of the story will change to M for the next chapter**. That doesn't mean that things progress to that level in the next chapter. It just means it's coming. I want you guys to be prepared and able to find the story once it does.


	38. Chapter ThirtySeven

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** What's that? Two updates in two days? I'm just as surprised as you are. Probably more. Think of it as a thank you for surpassing 500 reviews. I never expected that when I started writing this. Also, the chapter rating is now M. I hope you enjoy this one!

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One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Nathan counted as he bent his knee. His physical therapist sat next to him. He monitored everything Nathan did. He made sure that Nathan was moving his knee just so, so that he would rehabilitate it and not re-injure it. Nathan could feel his knee struggling. There was an ache in it as he moved it back and forth. He gripped the sides of the bench he was on, trying to maintain his grip and work through the pain.

"One more rep, then we'll hit the pool," the therapist said.

"Okay," Nathan grunted.

"Don't push it too hard, Nathan. That's a sure way to re-injure yourself. You're doing great; we don't want to jeopardize that."

Nathan nodded his head, but continued counting. He could feel the sweat on his forehead as he made it through the last few movements.

"Let me look at your knee," the therapist said. He moved to stand in front of Nathan. He began feeling the muscles in Nathan's leg. "Does that hurt?"

"It's a little sore," Nathan admitted.

The therapist nodded. "Okay, when you get home today, I want you to elevate it and ice it. We're taking tomorrow off."

"Do we have to?"

"Yes," Haley answered. She'd been silent almost throughout the entire therapy session. She'd been worried that Nathan had been over exerting himself in his mission to get better and to get her back. The last thing she wanted was him doing permanent damage to himself. "Nathan, he knows what he's talking about."

"Listen to her; you've got a smart woman there."

The therapist, Jerry, and Haley had instantly gotten along. Jerry had heard about the couple in the tabloids, but hadn't met Haley before. Before today, Nathan had always come to therapy alone. He had wondered about Nathan's determination. It was so strong and Jerry figured there had to be some motivation behind it. He now realized what it was.

The previous two days, Lucas had dropped Nathan off for his appointment, but Nathan had gone in alone. He had done all of it on his own, and he was fine with that. He loved having Haley and Sam there today. He worried that he might feel weak, struggling with his knee in front of them. They never once looked at him like he was weak, though. They wanted to help him. He had noticed Haley observing everything that Jerry was having him do. She mostly just let them work, but sometimes she would ask a question.

"How long should we ice the knee when we get home?" She held Sam on her lap, her arms wrapped around him.

"Twenty minutes every two hours until bed. That should do it. He's been doing great this week. He's made really quick progress and we don't want to lose any of that."

"No, definitely."

"Don't I get a say in any of this?" Nathan wiped his brow with the back of his hand and took a swig from the bottle of water next to the bench.

"Afraid not," Haley smiled. She couldn't help herself as she watched him work out. He'd been inactive for five weeks, but you'd never know it from how his arms were looking. Haley had always loved seeing the muscles of his arms bulge as he dribbled a basketball and then hung on the net after a dunk. She had trouble keeping her eyes off of them now as he gripped the bench as he worked his knee.

"So, take a few laps in the pool, then get yourself home and rest," Jerry instructed him.

"I have a press conference after this," Nathan informed him. "I haven't really talked to the press since the accident," he explained.

"Take it easy," Jerry encouraged.

"I will."

Nathan had completely forgotten about the press conference until his agent, Clay, had called that morning to remind him. He'd been so wrapped up in his therapy and working on his relationship with Haley that it had completely slipped his mind. He had called Haley right away to tell her she didn't have to take him to therapy, since he had the conference afterwards. She told him that she and Sam would be there anyway. They would drive him to the Staples Center for the press conference and then take him back to his house.

Nathan hadn't been looking forward to the press conference, but Clay had insisted as soon as he found out that Nathan was actually going to therapy. The press was beginning to speculate that he may never return to the game, or even try. Nathan had really only agreed to get Clay off of his back. He felt better at therapy with Haley's support and he knew he'd feel that same support with her at the press conference.

"Nathan gets to go swimming?" Sam was still grounded. What he had done was serious, and Haley wanted to make sure that there was no question of that. She was beginning to let up a little, though. He wasn't on a permanent time-out anymore.

"The water helps rebuild the muscle in my knee," Nathan explained.

"Can I go swimming?"

Haley laughed. "Not today, buddy. You're still grounded. No swimming until you're done being grounded."

Sam frowned. Nathan gave him a sympathetic smile. He'd been grounded plenty of times as a kid, so he could relate to what Sam was going through. But, Nathan understood what Haley was doing and didn't question it. He didn't even want to consider what could have happened to Sam. What he did had been so serious.

"Only half the laps today, Nathan," Jerry said.

* * *

"Come here," Haley instructed. But, instead of waiting for Nathan to make his way to her on his crutches, she walked to him. She reached for his tie and straightened it for him. She then gave it a slight tug, pulling him in for a kiss. "Would it be completely inappropriate if I told you to break a leg?"

Nathan couldn't help but chuckle. They were inside the Staples Center. In the next room, a gang of reporters was gathered, waiting to hear from Nathan and the Lakers head coach. "Thanks, Hales. I'm glad you're here."

"I am, too." She was glad for it. She was glad that she could be there to support him in what he was about to do. She knew it wasn't easy for him to tell the public of the uncertainty of his future. What had happened to him was very public. He shouldn't have to face the possibility of losing his dream in front of millions of fans.

"Are you sure I can't talk you into sitting up there with him, Haley?" Clay Evans, as always, had his Blackberry in his hand, his fingers poised and ready to dial when ready. His boyish features never gave away just how good he was at his job.

"No," Nathan answered immediately. "I'm not using Haley for that, Clay."

"I didn't mean it like that," Clay said defensively. "I know. I would never want to use Haley and Sam either. You've made that clear, Nate."

Nathan turned his attention back to Haley. "Thanks for being here for me."

"Always," she replied.

"And forever," he finished.

They rested their foreheads against each other. Things were progressively feeling more normal, but this was the most normal they'd felt so far.

"I miss holding your hand when we go out together," he whispered to her.

"You heard what Jerry said. Take it easy and don't rush it. You'll be off these crutches in no time."

"Nate, it's time," Clay announced.

Haley straightened his tie again, having messed it up when she tugged on it. "You'll do great. Sam and I will be back here cheering you on." She kissed him on the cheek and stepped aside.

"Good luck, Nathan!" Sam held out his fist. Nathan did the same and the two fist bumped.

As soon as Nathan made it to the table, he was blinded by the flashes going off. There were dozens of photographers and reporters in front of him. He took a seat. His coach and the team doctor sat on opposite sides of him.

"Thank you for coming," his coach began. "To begin, we're going to let the doctor explain Nathan's injury. Then we'll begin taking questions."

Nathan was silent as he listened to the doctor. He'd heard it all before. He noticed some of the reporters looking at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking. He ran his hand along his beard and looked off to the side. He saw Haley give him a reassuring smile and Sam wave at him. He smiled and gave them both a nod.

"So, will Nathan be back next season?"

Nathan hadn't noticed that the doctor had stopped talking. His attention was brought back to the press conference when he heard the first question asked.

"I'll take this," he offered. "Um, not next season, no. You heard the doc say, it's still a question if I will be back at all. We're taking it one step at a time."

"So, you're saying that you may never play again?"

Nathan sighed and looked at the crutches to his side. "I have to prepare myself for that possibility. My knee will never be the same."

"But you're training to come back?"

"Right now, I'm training so I can walk without crutches. One step at a time. Literally."

"What are you going to do if you can't play?"

Nathan glanced at Haley and smiled. "I don't know, but I'll figure it out."

"Are you angry?"

Nathan hadn't expected that question. He thought he'd be asked question about the game and his injury, but not how he felt about it. "I was. At first."

"And now?"

"I guess I'm disappointed. I love the game of basketball. It's been great to me and provided me with great opportunities. But it isn't the most important thing in my life.

"You know, all of the coverage and questions so far has been about my knee. That wasn't the most life threatening injury I got in that accident. I'm alive and that's what matters. My brother, who was in the accident with me, is alive and that matters. Whatever happens with the game, if I play or don't play, I'm alive. It could have been a lot worse."

"What about Haley?"

"What about Haley?" Nathan wasn't sure where this question was going.

"Has she been with you throughout your recovery?"

"Every step of the way."

"How does she feel about the beard?"

Nathan recognized that voice and laughed. He saw Rachel standing amidst the throng of sports reporters, looking out of place in her low cut top and skirt. "You'd have to ask her," he replied. "Thank you all for coming and for the support. And to the fans who've sent their well wishes, thank you." Nathan figured that since the questions had turned to his facial hair that it was time to end this. With a polite nod, he stood and left the staging area.

Haley and Sam were there waiting for him, just as they said they would be. He had been looking at them periodically throughout the conference.

* * *

They reached Nathan's house with Haley insisting that he immediately head to the den and elevate his knee. A few minutes later she returned, an ice pack in one hand and a bag of takeout they'd brought home with them in the other.

"Can I at least change first?" Nathan was amused by how strict Haley was being. He knew she was looking out for him and that she didn't want him hurting himself again. She had listened intently to everything that Jerry had told them.

Haley looked at him. He'd untucked his shirt and rolled up his sleeves, but he was still in his trousers and tie. He hadn't worn a full suit to the press conference, but he had still tried to look nice.

"That's probably a good idea," she relented. She stopped him when she saw him reach for his crutches. "Nope."

"But I'm going to change."

"No, you're staying put. Sam and I can get you something. We'll be right back."

"Actually," he began, "Luke did some laundry for me yesterday. There's a basket on top of the dryer with some clean stuff. There are some basketball shorts and t-shirts in there. Doesn't matter which ones you get."

"Okay, I'll be right back. Sam, go ahead and start eating your lunch. I'm sure you're hungry."

"Okay." Sam looked in the bag and noticed his food was right on top. Before he could get to it, Nathan reached for it. He began setting Sam's food on the table for him.

"There you go, buddy. It'll be like a picnic."

"Thanks, Nathan!"

"Yeah, thanks," Haley smiled.

When she got back, she helped Nathan get changed. She was about to take his clothes to the laundry room when he stopped her.

"You're not my maid, Hales."

"I'm helping. Stop arguing."

"I'm not gonna win this one, am I?"

"Not a chance."

A while after lunch, Sam had fallen asleep in the chair across from the sofa. Haley had curled up next to Nathan, her feet tucked under her.

"Do you have anywhere you need to be?" He had been tracing patterns on her arm with his fingers.

"Yeah, right here. I took the day off." She closed her eyes. Moments like this made it easier to jump back to where they had been before the accident. Again, she thought of Lucas's question the day before. Why couldn't it be this easy? When he was holding her and letting her be there for him, it was that easy. This moment made her feel like nothing at all had happened between them. She felt like they were still the same couple they had been before the accident. They were the couple who were deeply in love and content to sit with each other and Sam, spending a quiet afternoon at home.

"Thank you," she whispered. Her voice was quiet because she was so relaxed and content, but also because she didn't want to wake Sam from his nap.

"For what?" Nathan didn't think he had done a lot lately for her to thank him for. He was working on getting better and was working on getting her trust back, but that was nothing for her to thank him for. That was something he should have been doing from the start.

"For letting me help you and letting me in."

"I should have been doing that from the beginning."

"What matter is that you're doing it now." Haley brought her hand to rest on his stomach. There was nowhere else she'd rather be. "I'm proud of you. You were great today."

"I didn't do anything," he argued.

"Yes, you did, Nathan. You're facing an uncertain future. You had to do that in front of millions of people."

"Well, when you put it that way," he joked.

"I'm serious, Nathan. That was a huge deal. You did it with a lot of poise and dignity."

No one had ever spoken about Nathan that way. At least not that he knew of. Poise and dignity. Those were new words for him. He'd been complicated on his basketball skills, but not often on who he was as a man. At least not until he met Haley. Lucas had told him before that he was a good man. He had made sure to tell him that he was nothing like Dan. But, hearing the woman he felt he didn't deserve tell him that he had poise and dignity and that she thought he was brave… he didn't have words to explain how that made him feel. Instead, he gripped Haley tighter and kissed her temple.

"I love you," was the only response he thought was enough for what she had sad. "I will spend my entire life trying to make up to you what I did."

Haley looked up at him and put her hand on his face, rubbing her thumb along his cheek. "You don't have to do that, Nathan. You can stop apologizing every single time you say something to me. You're doing it. You're showing me that you're sorry. Believe me, I know you'd never want me or Sam to be hurt. The way you're showing me that you didn't meant to push me away is by being the man you were before the accident. You're being the man who is considerate of me and who looks after Sam without a second thought."

"But that's just normal stuff."

"Exactly, Nathan. You tried pushing me away when all I wanted was for you to be the man I fell in love with. And you are. That's the man I've been spending time with these past few days. That's the man who was brave and wonderful at his press conference today."

"You make me feel like I am that man, Hales."

"You are that man. I keep telling you that. You just need to believe it."

"I know. I think I believe it because you believe it. Or because you make me feel like I am worthy of you."

"Nathan, you know that… you know that I fell in love with you because you were that man. I didn't make you want to be who you are; you already were that."

"I'm not good with words. I can't really explain this. I've just tried so hard to not be my dad and I guess what I'm trying to say is that you're the first one to see that I'm not him. Even if you don't know him."

"I get what you're trying to say, I think." Haley leaned up and kissed him. Their kisses over the past few days had been chaste. They hadn't gotten very far physically. This kiss was different. It wasn't as intense and passionate as the kisses they'd shared before the accident. But Haley was trying to pour all of what she was feeling into that kiss. She was trying to show Nathan that she had seen that man in him and she had fallen in love with him.

She left her hand on his cheek once the kiss ended. She looked into his eyes. She kept her eyes right on his, not looking away. She needed him to know how she felt about him.

Nathan swore he could feel something move within him. Those brown eyes staring him down were saying so much and he swore he could feel it. His insecurities were an uphill battle. It had always been that away. Throughout his relationship with Haley, there had always been doubts that she would someday leave him because he wasn't enough for her. He'd pushed them to the back of his mind, ignoring them until the last possible moment.

That moment came with the accident. He had felt that he wasn't as complete as he had been. He'd felt for sure that Haley would realize that she could do better. Every fear he'd had about being inadequate burst to the surface. Despite all of that, despite the fact that he'd pushed her away, she still wanted him. If she had that faith in him, how could he not believe that he was enough for her? She wasn't the one who had pushed him away. She had fought for him to get better. She didn't care that he couldn't play anymore. She wanted him. It was as clear as day. She wanted him. She loved him. What reason was there to keep feeling insecure?

"You love me," he said. It wasn't a question. It was a fact.

Haley let out a little laugh. "I've been telling you that on a daily basis for months. Yes, I love you."

"I'm sorry."

Haley chewed on her lip. "Now what are you apologizing for?"

"Being stupid and not catching on. I mean, you said it and I know it. I know you love me. I didn't doubt it and I knew you wouldn't lie. I'm just… I can't explain this. It's just what you've been telling me since the accident. You don't care if I play basketball. I could pick up garbage and you'd love me."

Haley laughed again, this time a little louder. She looked over at Sam and saw that he was still sleeping. "If picking up garbage would make you happy, then yeah. Your job doesn't define you. You love basketball and I know you'll miss it if you don't get it back. But it's not the only thing you're great at."

Haley thought for a moment. She was trying to think of exactly how she could say what she wanted to say. "Sam saved me. He gave me hope and that's bigger than I can ever explain. But you gave me back me. That's huge, Nathan. It's not like I was incomplete before you. But this is why you two are both so important to me. You gave me me back. You did that by being you and by loving me, which you're great at." She laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arm tightly around his torso.

"So, that could be my new job. Professional lover of Haley James."

She laughed. "If that's what makes you happy."

"I don't know how that pays, though. I mean, obviously I'm getting a lot in return but it doesn't pay the bills."

"Guess that makes me your sugar momma."

"I'll be your kept man."

"I don't mind that if you're happy and we're together."

Nathan rested his chin on the top of Haley's head. It was something he'd taken to doing when they were sleeping in the same bed together. She had a habit of laying so that her head was on his shoulder instead of sitting up higher. Their height difference was such that even sitting, he could rest his chin on the top of her head.

"I don't think I'm gonna get it back. My game. I think this is it for me."

"I don't think you should write it off so soon, Nathan. You're just starting with therapy."

"Hales, you've heard the doctors. None of them think I'll play again. I'll make a full recovery if I wasn't an athlete. I'm okay with it, I guess. I mean, I love it. I'm not happy about it. I love playing. But if this is it, I still have a lot more in my life."

"I think it's good that you're prepared to lose it. Especially after these last few weeks. But I don't think you should give up yet."

"Hales, I don't want to get my hopes up."

"I'm not saying you should. I'm just saying maybe continue with what you've been doing and then maybe see how you feel about playing. I happen to think you're capable of great things and a great comeback might be one of them."

"A comeback?"

"Whatever you want to call it."

Nathan looked over at Sam. He thought about how much he missed playing with the boy and being able to run around with him. He looked down at the woman in his arms and at her small hand on his stomach. "Okay. But right now, I just want to focus on getting rid of those crutches so I can hold your hand when we're walking and so I can play with Sam again."

"We'll take it one step at a time and I'll be here with you through everything. I miss holding your hand when we're walking, too."

Nathan closed his eyes. He couldn't believe how well things were going with Haley. She'd taken him back because she loved him. He knew without a doubt that she loved him. There was no question of it. Haley James loved Nathan Scott, basketball player or garbage man.

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**Note:** So, Nathan has had an epiphany. I hope you all liked that. :) Thanks again for reading and reviewing!


	39. Chapter ThirtyEight

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** It's nice not having to apologize for taking so long to update. Anyway, some big things happen in this one, so I hope you like it.

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Three weeks had passed since Nathan's epiphany. He and Haley had settled into a routine almost as comfortable as the one they had before the accident. They were making progress every day. For three weeks, Nathan had done everything he needed to do to show Haley that he wasn't going to go back to that dark place he had been in. He'd been open with her. He'd shared everything he was feeling with her.

A real test came about a week after the press conference. Nathan had a bad day at therapy. His knee just wasn't cooperating the way he'd wanted it to. Jerry had said that he'd overdone it that week and that he needed to take at least two days off. Nathan had been visibly frustrated. Haley could see the tension in his shoulders. He'd barely spoken as she drove him back to his house.

Nathan was in a hurry to get better. He'd felt like he had wasted a lot of time by sitting around and moping for five weeks. Haley had pointed out to him that because of his surgery, it would have been a couple of weeks before he would have been allowed to begin therapy anyway. When they got back to the house, Nathan couldn't keep his feelings in and he didn't want to. Knowing that he had someone who would be with him through everything made it so much easier for him to open up and tell her exactly how he was feeling.

They had talked for a long time about how Nathan was feeling useless. He'd been so dependent on his body for everything, and now because of the crutches, he couldn't even help Haley carry groceries into the house. The minute Haley wrapped her arms around him, he'd felt at ease. He spent the next three days with his knee elevated and letting Haley help him with whatever he needed. He'd hated it and he felt useless, but he could understand it was for the best. Haley had been there to remind him that if he did this and rested his knee, it would be better in the long run.

His knee was improving. Jerry believed that in a couple of weeks, Nathan would be able to trade in the crutches for a cane. Nathan couldn't wait for that. He'd listened to every word Jerry told him after that, having the goal of getting rid of the crutches firmly in mind. Haley had made an offhanded comment that the crutches were better than the wheelchair. He didn't mention it, but he had to agree. At least he had one good leg to use.

Haley and Sam had been coming with him to physical therapy almost every time he went in the past few weeks. Sam wasn't grounded anymore, but Haley was still keeping him close by. Nathan could tell that Sam's little excursion had scared her. It had scared him. Nathan noticed that some days, Sam looked bored at therapy. Jerry had noticed, too, and had allowed Sam to help with a few exercises. Haley was also helping. She also helped when they were at Nathan's house.

Instead of swimming his laps at physical therapy, Nathan was now swimming them at the house. He had a large pool in his backyard that he had rarely used. Once Sam wasn't grounded anymore, Nathan had suggested to Haley that maybe he could do his laps at the house and that Sam could go swimming. The three of them were now spending a few days a week in the pool. Once Nathan had finished his laps, he would play with Sam. It was easier playing with him in the pool than out of it. They could move around without putting too much stress on his knee.

Haley had been in the pool with them earlier, but had since changed out of her bikini. She was in a pair of jean shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top with her hair in a lose bun. She sat on one of the pool chairs and watched as Nathan lifted Sam, allowing the boy to dunk the small basketball into the hoop that was over the pool.

Haley smiled as she watched them. They were getting back to normal. For Sam, it was as if Nathan had never scared him by throwing that bottle. He'd forgiven Nathan the minute he took it upon himself to go to his house. If Haley was being honest with herself, she'd forgiven him then too. Sam's trust in Nathan had never wavered, either. Haley was finding that hers was back as well.

Nathan looked back at Haley and smiled back at her. She had her legs crossed as she sat, watching them. They'd been spending so much time in the pool that her skin was slightly more tan than it normally was. She was completely casual. She'd just thrown on clothes that she had and she was wearing no makeup. She was completely natural and completely breathtaking.

"I love you," Nathan mouthed to her. He was still staring at her and smiling when Sam dog paddled up next to him, splashing him with water. Nathan smiled back down at Sam. He picked the boy up and dropped him back in the water. Sam was laughing the entire time.

"I think you're getting a little water-logged, bud," Haley told Sam.

"Five more minutes," Sam asked.

"I think we ought to listen to your mom. Besides, I think it's time to get my knee elevated," Nathan told him.

That did the trick. For four years-old, he was remarkably aware and compassionate. He asked every day how Nathan's knee was doing. If Nathan said his knee was bothering him, Sam understood and tried to help. Without being told again, Sam climbed out of the pool and ran to the chair where Haley had been sitting. He removed his floaties and ran into the house.

"Be careful, Sam," Haley shouted after him. She went to the edge of the pool and held Nathan's crutches in one hand while the other she held out to help him with his balance. She was smaller than he was. She couldn't support his weight, but it was instinct.

Haley looked back at the house and saw Sam sitting on the sofa in front of the TV. She turned her attention back to her half-naked, wet boyfriend. She placed her hand on his neck after handing him the crutches and brought his head lower. She rested her other hand on his well defined abs. Therapy was definitely helping him to stay in shape. She ran her hand softly over his abs, feeling the pool water on them. She closed her eyes and kissed him. The kiss was getting more intense when they were interrupted by someone clearing his throat.

"How's therapy going?" Lucas stood in front of them, a jovial grin on his face.

Haley looked embarrassed and her cheeks blushed after having been caught kissing Nathan. Nathan, however, glared at Lucas, annoyed at having been interrupted kissing Haley.

"Thought I'd stop by and see about getting us all lunch," Lucas explained.

"I was actually about to suggest I go get us something," Haley said. "What do you think?"

"Sure," Nathan said. "I could eat."

"I set some clothes in the den for you," she told him. In the past few weeks, even though she was helping him whenever he needed, she was good about gradually letting him do things on his own. She didn't want him feeling like an invalid. "Will you two be okay? We won't be gone long."

"Yeah, we'll be fine." Nathan was tempted to point out to her that this was the first time she'd left him completely alone with Sam since the accident.

"Okay, we'll be back," Haley leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Sam, Lucas and I are going to get us some lunch. You be good and listen to whatever Nathan tells you, okay?"

"Okay, mommy."

Haley and Lucas had been gone for ten minutes. Nathan had gotten Sam dried off and into his clothes and had gotten himself into a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. They were sitting together and watching cartoons when the doorbell rang.

"Wait here for me, okay, Sam?"

"Okay."

Nathan went to the door. He didn't get many visitors. Not a lot of people knew where he lived. Door to door salespeople rarely came by, because the house was hidden from the street. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of who was on the other side of the door once he opened it.

He could tell who it was, even though he wasn't facing the door. He had his back turned, but Nathan knew that frame anywhere. If he hadn't been sure, he would have as soon as the man turned. With a smile on his tan face, his hair hanging a bit over his forehead, Dan Scott opened his arms, expecting a hug from his son.

Nathan backed up. He didn't do it to step aside and allow Dan access into the house. He did it out of shock. Dan didn't catch on. He walked across the threshold and took a good look around the house. He let out an impressive whistle when he saw the house his son was living in.

"You've done well, Nate. What, no hug for your old man?"

Nathan glanced over his shoulder. He could see Sam watching them curiously. "What the hell are you doing here?" Nathan was whispering, but there was no mistaking the harsh tone in his voice.

"I heard about your accident. This was the earliest I could leave the state. I'm on parole, you know."

"I told you when you went to prison," Nathan kept his voice low, "that I never want to see you again. That hasn't changed."

"Nathan, I'm a concerned father. I've changed a lot since then. I'm trying to make amends."

"Nathan?" Sam came into the foyer. He stood half-way behind Nathan, not sure who this new person was.

"It's okay, bud. Why don't you get your ball and I'll be there in a second. This man was just leaving."

"Okay," Sam replied, his voice small. He walked slowly back to the living room, looking back after taking a few steps.

"Who's the kid?" Dan kept his eyes on Sam.

"None of your business." Nathan turned as quickly as he could manage and made his way to the living room where Sam was waiting. "Are you okay, Sam?"

Sam nodded and looked at Dan, who had followed Nathan into the living room.

Nathan ignored his father. "I think we left your ball outside, right? Let's go get it." Nathan went to the edge of the pool. Sure enough, there was Sam's ball. Sam had followed him and picked up the small basketball and began dribbling. A smile instantly appeared on his face. Nathan heard the doorbell ring again and suppressed the swear words on the tip of his tongue. "Sam, I have to get that. Do not go near the pool, okay? Nowhere near the pool." He turned to Dan. "If you want to do anything for me, make sure he doesn't go near the pool. I'll be right back."

Nathan's knee was beginning to ache. He always needed to rest it after therapy and he hadn't really had the chance to do that yet. In his mind, he was cursing whoever it was at the door. He opened the door to find a skinny delivery kid holding a small box and a clipboard.

"Delivery for Nathan Scott," the kid said. He handed Nathan the clipboard to sign. Nathan vaguely remembered ordering some video games for Sam since they were spending so much time at the house. When he looked at the box, though, he saw that it had the name and address of his next door neighbor. Nathan waited impatiently as the kid dug through his van, trying to find the right package. Nathan tried not to be annoyed when the kid handed it to him. He set the box on the table before going back to the living room.

"You need to leave," he told Dan. "I don't want you here." Nathan could hear the front door open and realized that Lucas and Haley must be back. He looked outside and what he saw turned him cold. He could swear he felt his heart stop. He dropped his crutches and broke into a run. He reached the pool and jumped in, seeing Sam face down in the water. He pulled the boy to him and flipped him over so that he was facing upward. He started shaking him. "Sam! Sam!"

Nathan carried him to the edge of the pool.

"SAM!" Haley was at the edge waiting for them. Her face was panic stricken. She reached for Sam as Nathan brought him to the edge of the pool. Nathan gently set him on the ground and Haley scooped him up into her arms. "Sam!" She shouted and pulled him closer to her body, trying to wake him up.

Sam began coughing and water came out of his mouth. He opened his eyes and looked at her, his vision blurry because of the water. "Mommy?"

Haley let out a sob and clutched her son ever tighter. "It's okay. Mommy's here."

Lucas had rushed outside right after Haley. He took Nathan's hand and helped him out of the pool. Nathan sat with his feet dangling in the water, his attention focused on Haley and Sam. Lucas looked to Dan, shocked to see him there. If looks could kill, Dan Scott would be dead.

"Is he okay?" Nathan brought his hand to Sam's chest, wanting to feel it rise and fall with his breathing.

"I think so," Haley answered through her tears.

"The ball fell in the pool," Sam explained, his voice hoarse.

Nathan looked up at Dan. "Get out. Leave here and do not come back. You are not a part of our lives. I asked you for one thing. I asked you to watch him."

"I turned for a second to get a drink from the cart. He's not your son?" Dan hadn't been sure. He hadn't been given any news about Nathan since he went in prison. He figured that if Nathan had a child, it would have been in the news. But, maybe not. Dan could also understand if Nathan wanted to keep some things private.

"He's more a son to me than you ever were a father. Get out before I throw you out."

"Your knee, Nathan."

"It doesn't matter. Get out," Nathan gritted his teeth together.

"Get out before I throw you out," Lucas added. "In fact, I'm gonna walk you out."

"Are you sure he's okay?" Nathan's voice was slightly panicked. He was concerned for Sam. He'd barely been gone for five minutes with the delivery kid.

"I think so," Haley answered. "But I want to get him checked out at the hospital. Both of you." Haley didn't care if she was overreacting.

"I'm fine. I don't need to be checked out. Let's get him taken care of."

* * *

Haley had been prepared to have to wait to see a doctor at the emergency room, but was surprised to find a nearly empty waiting room. After only a wait of twenty minutes, they were now in a small cubicle. She was sitting on the gurney, not letting go of Sam. Nathan was in the chair beside her, and Lucas was waiting for them in the waiting room.

Haley had been so focused on Sam that she hadn't had a chance to find out what happened. "What happened, Nathan?"

"I'm so sorry, Hales. Dan came to visit and then the doorbell rang again. I ordered some games for Sam and they got there, but the kid had the wrong package. I told Sam not to go near the pool and I told Dan to watch him. I should have kept him with me. I'm so sorry, Hales. If something had happened to him…," he trailed off.

"Sam, did Nathan tell you not to go near the pool?" It wasn't that she didn't believe Nathan. She just needed to know if Sam had heard him.

"Yes." His voice was still hoarse.

"I shouldn't have trusted Dan," Nathan murmured.

"You told him not to go near the pool and you told an adult to keep an eye on him," Haley repeated the story as she understood it.

"Yeah."

Before they could continue the conversation, a doctor came in. He examined Sam and afterward, Haley had realized she'd overreacted. She wasn't sorry that she brought him in, though. This was her son and his life had been in danger. She let go of the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding once the doctor had given Sam a clean bill of health.

"He needs his knee looked at and maybe x-rayed," she told the doctor.

"I'm fine," Nathan insisted.

"Nathan, please," Haley plead with him.

He couldn't resist those beautiful, doe shaped eyes of hers.

"Okay," he relented.

The doctor observed some stiffness in Nathan's knee. When Nathan had trouble moving it, the doctor ordered an x-ray. The x-ray didn't show any permanent damage, but Nathan was ordered to take the week off and elevate the knee, icing it occasionally. Haley took in every instruction, making sure not to miss anything. She also hadn't let go of Sam once since then.

"Everyone okay?" Lucas stood up when the three of them emerged.

"We're all good," Haley said. Sam was getting heavy, but it didn't bother her.

"Let me get you guys home," Lucas offered. He had driven them all there in Haley's car, since Sam's car seat was in there.

"We need to get you out of these wet clothes," Haley told Sam. "Do you think we could stop at our house first?"

"That's fine," Nathan answered for both him and Lucas. He couldn't imagine that Lucas would object.

* * *

Nathan hadn't been to Haley's house since he brought Sam home all those weeks ago. It felt good being back there. It had become one of his favorite places to be. She immediately had him on the sofa with his knee propped up and an ice pack on it. She got Sam into his pajamas and the three of them were settled together. The TV was off and the three of them sat cuddled on the sofa together.

That's how Lucas and Peyton found them when he walked back in the house. Since Lucas had been driving Haley's car when they came back, he had called Peyton to drive him back to his own car. No one had said anything, but he had a feeling that Nathan wasn't going anywhere that night. Haley looked like she wasn't letting go of either him or Sam.

"You guys never got a chance to eat," Lucas reminded them.

"Stay put," Peyton added. Lucas had informed her of everything that had happened. She and Lucas came back from the kitchen with plates and set a bag of takeout on the table.

"Let us know if you guys need anything," Lucas added before he and Peyton left.

Later, once they were done eating, they were all still sitting on the sofa. Sam had fallen fast asleep with his head on Haley's lap. Haley had her head on Nathan's shoulder. She looked up at him and sat up, careful not to disturb Sam. Without any hesitation, she brought her lips to his. She kissed him fiercely. She ran her tongue along his lips, trying to get him to open his mouth and reciprocate.

Nathan didn't know what was going on. Haley hadn't kissed him like this since before the accident. He didn't complain, though. He knew things weren't going to go any further, but if she was kissing him like this, it at least meant she didn't blame him for what happened with Sam. He still felt guilty about it. He should have been keeping a closer eye on him.

"You saved my son's life, Nathan. You could have seriously re-injured your knee. I saw you run for him. You ran like nothing was wrong with your knee. You risked it to save him, Nathan." Haley had been feeling emotional since they got to the hospital and now she was finally letting those tears fall.

"I didn't really think about my knee," Nathan admitted. "I just saw him and I ran. I'm sorry it happened."

"I don't blame you, Nathan. You did everything I would have. I can't brush it off, like accidents happen. But I don't blame you."

Nathan closed his eyes and rested his head against Haley's.

"Did you mean what you said? When you told your dad that Sam was more of a son to you than he was a father?"

"Yeah. I meant it. I love him, Hales. I know he's not really my son. But, I don't think I'd love him any more if he was."

"God, I love you. And I want you to stay here with us tonight. We'll pull out the sofa bed and the three of us can stay here. I've missed sleeping next to you."

Nathan leaned in and kissed her. "I've missed you too. I've been waiting to come home until you were ready."

"I'm ready, Nathan. I want you to come home."

* * *

Nathan wrapped his arm around Haley and Sam. He could sense the light coming through the curtains of the living room. He moved so that he was lying more closely to them before opening his eyes. When he did open them, he noticed the most beautiful pair of brown eyes looking back at him.

"Morning," she whispered.

Nathan moved closer to kiss her, careful not to wake Sam.

Haley ran her hand along his cheek. She deepened the kiss, but not much.

"Is he okay?" Nathan looked down at Sam and smiled. The boy's mouth was slightly open and Nathan could see the steady rise and fall of his chest.

Haley nodded. She felt her heart flutter at his concern. Sometimes, it still surprised her just how much Nathan loved her son.

"I'm going to take a quick shower," she told Nathan.

"We'll be fine," he assured her. "I'll keep an eye on him."

Haley got up, but before leaving, she spoke. "Last night, next to you, was the best I'd slept since before the accident."

Haley didn't take long and when she came back downstairs, dressed casually in a skirt and tank top, she found her boys sitting on the sofa bed and watching cartoons. Sam had a bowl of cheerios in his hand and she saw a cup of juice on the end table next to the sofa.

"Morning, mommy!"

"How are you feeling? You had a big day yesterday."

"I feel good."

"You know, Nathan told you not go near the pool." Haley took a seat next to them. Sam was wedged in the middle of her and Nathan and both adults had their arms behind him.

Sam nodded. "My ball fell in."

"But, you wait for an adult to get it for you," Nathan told him.

"That man was there. I didn't like him. Who was he?"

Nathan hesitated before answering. "That was my dad."

Sam's eyes widened in shock. "But you don't ever talk about him."

Nathan nodded. "I know."

"How come? Is it 'cause he's kinda scary?"

Nathan had to chuckle a little, but a part of him was sad and angry that Dan had scared Sam. "He's not scary, Sam. He's just afraid."

"Why is he afraid?"

Nathan thought before answering. He'd been thinking about this all night. He'd thought about Dan's visit and his concern for Nathan's career. He hadn't even seemed fazed that Sam had nearly drowned. He'd come to a conclusion as he watched Haley and Sam sleep. He had something that his father never really did. It was something Dan Scott could have had, but he shunned it.

"He's afraid," Nathan began, "of not having his dream. Because he feels like if he didn't have it, he wouldn't have anything."

"What kind of dream?"

"Well, when I was your age, I wanted to play basketball when I grew up. My dad did too, but he hurt himself and didn't make it."

"But you don't play basketball anymore."

"No. I don't."

"Are you afraid?"

Nathan hugged Sam. "No. I'm not afraid."

"I'm glad."

Haley ran her thumb along Nathan's cheek. Feeling the hair under her hand, she remembered the items she had brought with her from upstairs. She looked at the towel and sheet and stood up. She spread the sheet on the floor and placed a stool on it. On the end table, she placed a can of shaving gel, a purple razor, and a towel.

"Have a seat," she told Nathan, a smile on her features.

"What's going on?" He stood up and grabbed his crutches. "Can I at least put some pants on?" He'd slept in only his boxers. He had pajamas upstairs in his drawer in the bedroom, but August was too hot for flannel.

Haley shook her head. "I'm going to get beard burn. I know you can't really stand long enough to shave that thing off of your face. So, I'm going to do it for you."

Without arguing, Nathan went and sat on the stool. Haley left for a moment and came back with a glass of water. She put some of the shaving gel in the palm of her hand and lathered it on Nathan's face.

Nathan scrunched his nose within seconds of having the gel on his face. "That smells like flowers."

Haley laughed. "It's my shaving gel. You might smell like flowers for a little bit, but at least I won't get beard burn when I kiss you."

"So, there's going to be kissing after this?"

"If you play your cards right," she flirted.

Nathan closed his eyes and tilted his head back as Haley moved the razor on his face.

"Am I gonna have to do that someday?"

"What, shave? Not for a while," Nathan answered.

"How long?"

"Not until you're in high school."

"That's a long time," Sam marveled.

Haley was finished soon after. She gently wiped the excess gel off of Nathan's face. She leaned in, gently bringing her cheek to his. "Much better," she whispered in his ear. "Now I can see that handsome face of yours." She moved her lips to cover his and draped her arms around his neck.

"Yuck!"

Nathan and Haley laughed.

"Wait until you get to high school. You won't be using that word then," Nathan joked.

"I don't even want to think about that," Haley scoffed. "But, someone does need to get dressed for today. Are you done with your Cheerios?"

Sam nodded.

"Thanks for feeding him."

* * *

Sam was finally allowed to go to Andre's house again. Both Haley and Mrs. Fields had been keeping the boys close to home and separate since their little adventure. They had decided the boys could play together today, for the first time in about a month. Haley wasn't so sure about letting him go after what happened the day before, but had decided it was okay. She had left Nathan briefly to drop Sam off at Andre's. When she got back home, she found Nathan in clean clothes with the sofa bed made up.

"What did you do? Did you clean up? You're supposed to be resting!"

"I called Lucas," he told her before she could continue. "He went upstairs to get me some clothes and then he made up the sofa bed. I'm being a good boy."

"Sorry I jumped to conclusions."

"It's okay. I did try to do it myself, but I didn't get very far."

Haley shook her head. "Sit." When he did, she propped his knee up on the coffee table. "You're going to stay like this for a while."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I was thinking about something last night. And today. I wanted to talk to you about it."

"What's that?"

"You said that you'd been waiting to come home. Like this was your home."

"I feel like it is. Honestly, the way I grew up, that didn't feel like home. My house didn't feel like home. This feels like home. With you and Sam."

"Move in here," she said, without a second thought. It made sense. Before the accident, he had been living there. They'd been sharing a bed, he had closet space. He had basically moved in without having officially moved in. Now, she wanted to make it official.

"You're sure?"

"Completely sure. Move in. I'll call Lucas and Julian to help move your things. You can sell your house if you want. Or not. It's up to you. We can redecorate if you want, make it seem more of a home for you."

Nathan cut her off by crashing his lips to hers. He ran his tongue along her lips and she opened her mouth, letting him deepen the kiss. Without thinking about what she was doing, Haley straddled him, spreading her legs so that they were on either side of him. She put one hand near the bottom of his shirt, reaching underneath it to feel his skin.

Nathan shuddered into her mouth. He moved his own hand to almost the exact same position that hers was in on him. He felt the smooth skin of her hip. His other hand was tangled in her hair. Aggressive behavior when it came to their physical relationship wasn't something that Haley was prone too, but she had missed him. She wanted him.

"Is that a yes?" She asked her question between kisses, her lips never leaving his skin for long.

"That's a hell yes," he answered her.

She pulled away from him and removed her tank top. Nathan knew Haley was comfortable like this. They had made out like this countless times. Knowing that he didn't need her permission, he felt the skin of her shoulder. Haley bit her lip at the feeling of his calloused hand along her skin, which was burning with want for him.

Haley didn't wait for him to react. She made quick work of his shirt and took a moment to appreciate his muscled chest before kissing him again.

"I just want to feel you," she explained. "I miss feeling you."

Nathan had missed it too. He tried to ignore the hardness growing in his pants as Haley moved against it as they made out. He was sure she felt it. It would have been impossible not to. All it took was a few kisses from her to get him turned on. No one had ever turned him on as much as Haley James did.

They weren't sure how much time had passed, but they spent their time feeling each other and being close to each other. It was exactly what both needed.

* * *

**Note:** Phew. Thank you for reading and reviewing! I can't wait to get the next few chapters out for you guys, so I hope I'll have the time to write them.


	40. Chapter ThirtyNine

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Well, this chapter ended up going somewhere I wasn't planning, but I think it's right. Enjoy and thank you for reading!

* * *

A year earlier, Nathan had walked the same aisles of this store. He'd been nervous. He wasn't sure of himself. A lot had changed in the past year. With Haley, he was becoming more sure of himself. Unlike last year, he knew exactly where he stood with her now. They made a home together. He had moved in with her, just as she'd asked him to. He'd never been happier.

The day after Haley asked him to move in, she had woken up bright and early. In fact, Nathan was sure that it wasn't even bright yet. She had woken him up, much to his dismay. He would have preferred staying in the sofa bed, holding Haley close to him, and breathing in her scent. But, she insisted on making up the sofa bed. She told Nathan that if he wanted to sleep some more, he could stretch out on the sofa. She wanted him to be comfortable, but she also knew she was going to need room when she brought his stuff back. She had enlisted the help of Julian and Lucas to help her bring Nathan's things over to the house.

They had talked about it the night before. She told him that it was okay if he wanted to take his time moving in, but he told her that all he needed were some clothes and he'd be moved in. He didn't want to wait. He'd been wanting to come home for two months. After it was decided that Nathan was now effectively living there, all that was left to do was bring his things over. Haley wanted to do it immediately. She was just as excited as he was that he was going to be living there. She also wanted him to feel at home there, even though he insisted that he already did.

He tried to go with her and help, but Haley refused. She told him that he needed to stay home and watch Sam. Nathan knew that she really just wanted him to stay put. She could have taken Sam with her and he wouldn't have been in the way. When Haley, Julian, and Lucas had returned, they not only had all of Nathan's clothes but a good deal of his basketball memorabilia as well. She had explained that even though he couldn't play anymore, he should still be proud of all that he'd accomplished. With that in mind, she had placed his Most Valuable Player trophy from his senior year of high school right next to her Grammy for Best New Artist.

Sam had been just as excited as Nathan and Haley about Nathan moving in. He was already used to Nathan being around all the time. He had missed Nathan while he was at his own house. Now, when Haley was at work, Sam spent a lot of time with Nathan at the house. Sam was now in school, leaving Nathan with not a lot to do while Haley worked, other than his physical therapy.

The therapy was going well. Jerry had been true to his word, and Nathan was now using a cane instead of crutches. Occasionally, on a rough day, Nathan might still need the crutches. He mostly did what he could to make sure he avoided that. Sometimes, with the cane, he felt like he was an old man. He was improving every day, though. Now that he wasn't on crutches, he could hold Haley's hand as they walked together.

That was how the two of them walked throughout the toy store. Haley had her hand in Nathan's. The two rarely separated. A year earlier, he had made this trip with Brooke Davis. Sam had invited Nathan to his birthday party and Nathan didn't want to disappoint the child. He and Haley were now preparing for Sam's fifth birthday. The party was that weekend. They had talked about it and decided to get Sam a gift together. Neither had really spoken of it, but they each saw them as Sam's parents. They were a unit. Eventually, they would need to talk about it. For right now, this worked. Nathan took part in parenting Sam and Sam gave him the kind of respect a boy would give his father.

"Well, he loves the hoop you got him last year," Haley reminded him.

"He doesn't need a new one. That one is adjustable. We still have room for him to grow."

"He hasn't really dropped any hints about what he wants either. I think you're spoiling him," Haley teased. "You keep buying him video games."

"I was just trying to keep him entertained while you guys were spending time at the old house."

"The old house. Already it's the old house?"

Nathan shrugged. "Yeah. I like this new arrangement a lot better."

Haley shook her head. "I can't believe you made Lucas wait with you for four hours at the DMV."

"I had to get my address changed on my license. He didn't have to wait. He could have come back to get me later." They turned down another aisle when Nathan stopped. "This is it."

"This?"

"Yeah," Nathan marveled. "It's perfect. We can teach him how to use it. We'll do it a step at a time and get him all the equipment to go with it."

"I think he'll actually love this," Haley agreed. "It won't fit in my car."

"Maybe we can have it delivered."

"We'll have to do it while he's not at the house. And then we'll have to hide it. Actually, Julian's got his truck."

For a film director, Julian did not drive a typical car. He drove a late model pickup truck. Haley was familiar with it because Brooke often complained about it. She wished he'd find a nicer car, but he had saved his money for it and loved it. Haley had asked him to help her move things from time to time, knowing the truck had the room.

"Do you think Julian would pick it up?"

"Yeah, definitely. He's busy editing right now, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"Well, that takes care of that." Nathan was pleased. This was really the first time they'd picked out something for Sam as a couple. Nathan was a little nervous about Sam's reaction. He hoped he would love it. Nathan thought he'd love it. Now, he'd have to wait for the party to find out.

Haley called Julian and asked him to pick up the gift. Once Julian agreed, Nathan and Haley paid for it and left the store, hand in hand.

"So," Haley began as they got to her car, "want to go home and make out?"

"Sure. I could be up for that." Nathan smirked and raised an eyebrow, knowing that Haley caught the double meaning in his words.

Before she could respond, her phone rang. She decided to go ahead and answer it before she started up the car. Nathan got settled in the passenger seat, making sure his knee wasn't bent in a way that would harm it.

When Haley sat in the driver's seat, she was biting her lip and had a look of disappointment on her face. "Okay," she told the person on the other end of the call.

"What's wrong?"

Haley placed her phone in the cup holder. "That was about Sam's basketball. The coach got another job offer and took it. If they can't find a replacement, they're going to have to close his team."

Now Nathan was disappointed as well. Haley had signed Sam up to play kid's basketball. With him turning five in a few days, he was just now old enough to play. He, Andre, and Chuck would all be on the same team. Sam had been practicing ever since he found out he was going to play. Nathan had taken every opportunity he could to help him. Haley had asked him if it made him sad, since he wasn't playing. Nathan had told her that it made him happy that Sam was so excited about the game.

On a whim, Nathan replied, "What if I coached? Do you think they'd let me?"

A large smile spread across Haley's face. "I can call back and ask. Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Of course. I mean, I've already been helping Sam. I love helping Sam. I think it would be a lot of fun. Besides, think of it this way. If I can help those kids avoid coaching like my dad did, then that's gotta be good, right?"

Haley leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. She picked up her phone and re-dialed her last caller. By the time they got home, Nathan tentatively had a job. He had to take a first aid course and be certified to perform CPR on children, but that was really the only formality. The league had been excited when they found out that someone with experience in the NBA wanted to coach a group of five year-olds.

"Jerry said a couple of more weeks and I should be able to handle the stairs," Nathan reminded Haley. They were sitting on the sofa with her laptop out. They were scheduling appointments for his first aid and CPR training courses. "Hey, do me a favor and maybe don't mention this to Sam until it's for sure? I don't want to get his hopes up."

"That's probably the best idea," Haley said as she set the laptop on the coffee table. "So, a couple of weeks and you can come back up to our bed?"

"Our bed?"

"Do you think we should look into getting a new one? We can if you want. I want you to feel comfortable, Nathan. This is your home now."

"Hales, I like that bed. The bed is fine. Especially if you're in it with me." He paused. "Was that too corny? That sounded corny."

"I know what you mean."

"You know, Hales, you don't have to stay down here with me on the sofa bed. I understand if you want to be back in your own bed."

"The sofa bed is fine, Nathan. Especially if you're in it with me," she repeated his sentiment from a few seconds earlier. She ran her hand along his stomach and before he knew it, she was pulling his face toward hers and kissing him. "I'm pretty sure I said something about coming home and making out."

"If you insist," Nathan joked, taking her face in both of his hands and kissing her. "You know, I'm starting to think you asked me to move in just for my body." They had been making out a lot. Well, whenever they could. They didn't have the privacy of the bedroom, so they made sure that Sam wasn't in the house when they did.

"Well, now you know my true motives," she joked back. She knew he couldn't move much. He had his knee propped up on the table, so they really didn't have many options. There'd be more when they were able to move back to their bedroom. So, Haley took to what was becoming one of her favorite positions to make out with him in. She straddled him and leaned in, using her tongue to get him to open his mouth. He complied, massaging her tongue with his own.

"Shirt," she breathed between kisses.

He wasn't sure if she meant her own or his. He decided to remove his first. She was comfortable making out without her shirt on, but he still proceeded with caution. He never wanted to assume anything. He removed the polo he'd been wearing, being forced to break their kiss. He threw the shirt somewhere, he wasn't sure where Haley raked her nails down his chest, making him shiver.

"I meant mine," she told him.

He pulled back and smiled, but Haley could see the pure lust in his eyes. His blues eyes were darkening. Haley was beginning to love that look in his eyes. She felt wanted and she felt sexy. Nathan traced a line down her arms before removing the peasant top she'd been wearing. He loved Haley's breasts, with or without a bra. They fit perfectly in his hands and he loved that as he massaged them, he could feel her nipples harden. Because of her sexual experience, Nathan was always happy to know that she was reacting and enjoying herself with him.

Nathan took his time exploring Haley's skin. She didn't think she'd enjoy his hands so much. They weren't smooth at all, but he was gentle with them. They were rough from years of holding a basketball. His calloused hands were becoming a huge turn on for her. His large hands were able to cover a lot of territory on her small body, but that never stopped him from taking his time like he was trying to memorize every inch of her.

Haley reached behind her to where Nathan's hand was drifting over her soft, warm skin. They hadn't broken their kiss. She brought his hand to the clasp, telling him exactly what she wanted. Nathan didn't want to second guess himself anymore. He'd spent a lot of time in their relationship doing that already. If Haley was guiding his hand to the clasp of her bra, then he knew that she wanted him to take it off.

He unclasped the lavender lace garment and pulled away from her. The look in his eyes wasn't questioning. The look told her that he knew what she wanted. She didn't wait for him and finished taking her bra off herself. She could feel Nathan's erection grow between her legs. She could feel it through his khaki shorts and her capris. She could feel herself getting wetter and wetter with want for him and needed to do something to relieve the pressure. She pushed her center down onto the bulge in his pants, causing them both to moan.

Nathan couldn't wait any longer and cupped her breast with his hand as the other held onto her hip, almost holding her in place and she rubbed herself against his hardness. His lips found her shoulder and began kissing downward, occasionally sucking on certain points, enjoying the taste of her flesh.

"I want to try something," he told her, suckling on the skin on her shoulder. "You trust me?"

"With everything." Haley was barely able to get a word out. Everything about him felt good to her, from his hands, to his mouth, to his ever increasing hardness. They both knew that they weren't going to make love. Not on the sofa in the middle of the living room. It was going to happen, but it needed to be right. That didn't mean they weren't going to enjoy everything they could until the time did come for them to take that step.

Nathan's mouth traveled lower. He left light kisses just above the nipple of her right breast before running his tongue along it. He held her, both hands on her back, and lowered his head, taking her nipple into his mouth. He nipped at the bud, causing her to arch her back, which moved her breast more into his mouth. She held onto his shoulder, digging her fingernails in.

Haley was glad that he was taking the initiative. It was a turn on. He'd been patient, and she loved him for it. But she wouldn't have asked him to do this herself, so she was more than glad he did it on his own. She reacted by spreading her legs further. He groaned when he felt her move and put more pressure on him. She lifted her hips and did it again, enjoying both the reaction it got from him and the way it made her feel.

He switched his attention to her other breast, making sure to treat it the same way he'd treated the other. Haley continued arching into him and rubbing herself against him. She had her head thrown back and her lip between her teeth.

"I want to hear you," he told her. "I want you to look at me."

Haley opened her eyes and let out a loud moan. She rested her head on Nathan's shoulder as he removed his lips from her breasts and moved upward to her neck. He was kissing along her jaw line when he whispered, "I love you, Hales."

Haley sat up and looked at him. She held his face in her hands and kissed him, lightly. She looked down between them and could see the tenting in his shorts. He hadn't asked for them to stop even though she knew it had to be getting uncomfortable for him. She was uncomfortable because she wanted more. This just wasn't the place for that. She felt her heart beating rapidly as she brought her hands down his chest, feeling the hard muscles. She loved touching him. She loved feeling the results of his workouts. She loved the contours of his abs. She wanted to touch him and she wanted to feel more. She wanted him to not be uncomfortable.

Looking him straight in the eye, she reached the waistband of his shorts. Before he could realize what she was doing, she had his shorts unbuttoned and his zipper down.

"Hales…"

"I've never done this before," she said apprehensively.

"Done what?"

Her hand reached lower, running along the fine hair from his belly that went lower. She didn't answer his question, she just reached inside his boxers and touched his hard, thick shaft. Nathan couldn't help his reaction. He thrust himself into her hand, nearly knocking her off of his lap.

"Did I hurt you?" She stopped her hand and removed it from his boxers.

"No. No. I just wasn't… That felt… You don't have to do that, Hales."

"I want to. I want to feel you, Nathan. All of you. I've never done this before though. So, if I do something wrong, help me."

"Hales…"

"Shh," she kissed him and placed her hand back inside his boxers. She started off slowly, running a finger his entire length from the head to the base. She then wrapped her tiny hand around the thickness of him and squeezed. Again, Nathan couldn't help but thrust into her hand. "Let go," she urged him.

Nathan wrapped his arm around Haley's waist tighter, holding her to him as her hand worked over his penis. He continued thrusting as one hand delved into her hair. The two kissed, their tongues dueling at a furious pace, matched by the furious pace with which Haley's hand worked. His hips began moving faster, so she quickened her pace.

Nathan felt a familiar feeling and he knew he was close. He took the hand that was in her hair and grabbed her breast, rubbing it. The feeling coursing through Haley was so strong that she gripped onto him tighter and the next thing she knew, he was spilling into her hand. He rested his head against her shoulder, calming himself down. She removed her hand from his shorts.

Nathan kissed her. He nipped at her lower lip and kissed her with everything in him. "When you asked if I wanted to come home and make out, I didn't know you meant that."

"Neither did I," she confessed.

"You didn't have to do that."

"I know," she kissed his cheek before standing up. She retrieved Nathan's shirt and threw it to him before grabbing her own things. She disappeared for a moment and when she came back, she was fully dressed and carrying to bottles of water. She sat next to Nathan and draped her legs over his lap.

"I told you, Nathan, I wanted to feel you. I also wanted to make you feel as good as you make me feel."

"You always have made me feel great."

Haley blushed before asking him the question that was on the tip of her tongue. "Did I… Was that, I mean, I told you I'd never done it before and I don't know if I did it right."

Nathan silenced her rambling with a kiss. "You were perfect. Your hands might be small, but they're pretty talented."

"Stop," she smacked his shoulder. "You're embarrassing me."

"Don't be embarrassed."

"Soon," she told him. "Soon."

He didn't have to ask what she meant. After what had just happened, he knew. He didn't answer. Instead, her kissed her and held her close.

* * *

Kids were running all through Haley and Nathan's back yard. About a dozen of them were involved in various activities from jumping in the bounce house she'd rented to playing with the basketball hoop Nathan had given Sam the year before. Most, though, were huddled around Sam as he rode the bicycle his mother and Nathan had gotten him for his birthday. It was blue with a black seat and had training wheels on it. Sam was wearing the helmet that his mom and Nathan insisted that he wear while riding it. Sam couldn't ride a bike yet, but Nathan had promised to teach him. For now, he was content to ride around the backyard with the training wheels on.

Julian had picked up the bike just like he'd promised. He had even stayed with Nathan and Haley to help them put it together. They'd managed it and also managed to keep it hidden from Sam. It would have been an understatement to say that Sam was excited about the bike.

Nathan had been hired to coach the Crows, Sam's basketball team. Practices were set to begin on Monday and both Sam and Nathan were excited about it. Nathan had never coached before and was a little nervous. He was trying to think of what he should start them out doing. Haley would find him in deep thought several times throughout the past few days. He also had taken to carrying around a notebook with ideas and possible plays in it. Lucas had noticed and reminded his brother that he was coaching five year-olds, not high school students.

The kids had now begun referring to him as Coach Scott. Even Chuck, and the adults were sure that it was the most respect Chuck had ever shown an adult. Sam had decided that during practice, he would also call Nathan "Coach Scott."

"Why didn't I think to get him a bike?" Brooke was pouting. Sam loved her gift. Sam loved all of his gifts. He'd just taken to his new bike more than anything else.

"He loves the uniforms, Brooke," Haley appeased her. Brooke had given Sam his own pair of new shoes to play basketball, but she had also promised to design uniforms for his entire team. She promised that the Crows were going to be the best dressed team in their league.

"I'm also making a little something for Coach Boy Toy, and something for you, Tutor Mom, for when you're there cheering both of them on."

"Don't call me that," Nathan gritted.

"I think you secretly like it," Brooke teased. "And you," she turned her attention to Julian, "why didn't you tell me they got him a bike?"

"Because I know how you are with secrets when you're excited," Julian answered.

"Thanks for getting him that easel and paint set, Peyton. Although I think we're going to have to make sure he does that in the garage."

Peyton laughed. "That might be a good idea."

The adults were all sitting on the patio, watching the kids play. Nathan and Haley were on a bench next to the picnic table they'd set up for the day. She had her legs over his, which is a position she'd come to favor.

"We'll stay and help you clean up, too," Peyton offered.

"Oh, thanks, Peyt."

"You should probably rest your knee, little brother," Lucas suggested. "You've been pretty busy today."

"You're probably right. I'm fine right now."

"You've got a big week coming up," Julian added. "Take it easy."

"You know, I'm not helpless." Nathan knew they were just being helpful.

"Yeah, but think of it this way, if you relax now, then you'll be fine once you have to coach," Haley told him.

"You're talking me into this by making me feel guilty because if I hurt myself I'll disappoint Sam, right?"

"How's it working?"

"Pretty good."

Haley leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, then whispered in his ear, "You'd never disappoint him. I know that."

Nathan smiled and took her hand in his. He thought back over the past year. Last year, Sam had been the one to invite him to his birthday party. This year, he didn't need an invitation. He lived there. He was a part of Sam's life. There was no question as to whether or not he'd be there. He looked at Haley and then at Sam as he showed his new bicycle to his friends. This was his family. It didn't begin in the traditional way, but it was his family. These were the people who he'd do anything for. These were the people who made him feel like he was the luckiest man in the world.

* * *

The kids had been picked up an hour earlier. Nathan had helped with some of the clean up before it was suggested that he take it easy. So, while Haley, Brooke, Peyton, Julian, and Lucas cleaned up, Sam and Nathan played NBA Live. Sam was getting good at it. Nathan usually let him win, but Sam's skills were improving and he was getting a lot better at the game.

The two were locked in a pretty fierce battle. Nathan was sitting on the edge of the sofa and Sam was standing up. They were both using every move they knew and Sam was actually outplaying Nathan in some regards.

"Bedtime," Haley announced.

"Do I have to?" Nathan paused the game and smirked. He knew she meant Sam.

"Har har. I meant the birthday boy."

"Do I have to?" Sam set down the controller. He had his white basketball shoes on with black socks. He'd noticed that Nathan wore black socks when he played and he wanted to do the same thing.

"Yes. It's been a big day, buddy. You're more tired than you think you are."

"I don't think I'm tired."

"It's already over an hour past your usual bedtime. You know you're not going to win this argument, kiddo."

Lucas, Julian, Brooke, and Peyton all settled in the living room. Sam had said his goodnights and his thank yous and now Haley was tucking him into bed. When Haley returned, she saw that Nathan was on the phone. She looked at the others questioningly, but no one seemed to know who he was talking to.

"Okay," he said. "I'll let them know." He hung up his phone and put his arm around Haley when she sat on the sofa next to him.

"Who was that?"

"Royal and Mae are coming to visit in two weeks," he announced.

"Your grandparents?" Haley sat up and looked at him.

"Yeah, grandpa's got a golf thing in Palm Springs with some of his friends. They decided to spend a few days up here and see us while they're out here."

"Are they staying here with us?"

"Oh, no. They booked a hotel. Relax, no visiting grandparents."

"Wow," Lucas said, "they've never come out here before."

"Are they," Julian began, "I mean…"

Brooke finished his question for him. "Are they like your dad?"

"No," Lucas answered. "Actually, after Dan shot Keith, Royal really mellowed out. He used to be pretty bad, I guess."

"He was bad," Nathan responded. "That's where Dan got it from. He's still kind of a hard ass, but he's a lot nicer. Mellow is a good word for it."

Haley put her head on Nathan's shoulder. "Think they'll like me?"

* * *

**Note:** Well, Royal and Mae are coming to visit. That chapter got a little steamy, right? I figured it was time. Hope you liked it! I hope I can write the next chapter soon.


	41. Chapter Forty

**Disclaimer: **One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Notes:** I'm slipping in here in shame. I never planned on taking this long to update again. I'm really sorry. I'd love to say it won't happen again, but I can't promise that. I will try my best to keep time between updates short. I always love hearing how much you all love this story and that makes me so happy and I hate disappointing you with a long wait. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. I will do my update to try and get the next chapter up within the next week. Try is the key word there. Thank you again for sticking with me and reading this!

* * *

The kids dribbled the ball on the wood floors of the court. Or at least they tried to. Coaching kids was requiring a lot of patience from Nathan. He just reminded himself that at one point, before Dan got really bad, that he had played just like this. He had tripped over to ball because it was larger than his own feet. He had forgotten to dribble while moving. He had sloppily jumped to make a shot, the ball going in the wrong direction. These kids were trying, though. More than trying, they were having fun. Nathan could see the absolute joy on their faces. He could see their enthusiasm when he brought them in to discuss new moves and new drills. He could see their pride in their team uniforms.

Brooke had outdone herself. The uniforms were black with white lettering. Each player had their name printed on the back of their jersey. She had taken the liberty of giving Sam the number twenty-three. Haley had asked Nathan if it bothered him. He thought about it and it honestly didn't bother him. He thought about Sam wearing his number. The reason Sam was wearing it was because it had been Nathan's number. It didn't make Nathan miss the game more. He made him proud. It meant that Sam looked up to him. That meant so much to Nathan.

His days had fallen into an easy, comfortable routine. He still went to physical therapy on a daily basis. He'd been doing really well. Jerry was more than impressed by his progress. More impressed with Nathan's progress, Jerry was impressed with Nathan's willingness to listen to the advice he was giving him. Because Nathan was listening, he was getting stronger and stronger. Occasionally, he used a cane. He didn't need it every day, though. Not anymore. He'd also moved up into the bedroom now.

That was a big deal for him. He and Haley had been sleeping on the sofa bed ever since he moved in. Now that he was in a bedroom – their bedroom – he felt like he was really, finally home. He now slept in their bedroom, in their bed, next to the woman he loved more than anything. Haley had cleared closet and drawer space for him months earlier when he was staying over every night. Now, she'd done a good job of splitting the space in half, even though she owned more than he did. Even their bathroom looked like it had always been shared by two people. Thinking ahead, Haley had brought in a stool so Nathan could sit and shave. Nathan had laughed when he first saw it. He knew how much she preferred kissing him when he was clean shaven. He had to admit, he liked when she was the one to shave him. He had really enjoyed that.

After therapy, he would head to the local community center. Other teams used it for practice as well. They often practiced on the same court, each one taking half of it. Each team had practice twice a week. Nathan had been surprised when they told him he would actually be getting a paycheck. It wasn't much, but he would have gladly done it for free. He didn't need the money.

Mondays and Wednesdays were practice days for the Crows. They had played one game so far and though the score had been close, they had lost. Nathan knew the kids looked dejected and disappointed, but he did his best to make sure they knew he was proud of them. They'd listened to what he told them and they gave a great effort on the court. He knew they could do better and those kids went into their next practices hoping that if they worked hard they would do better. They would have their next game that weekend.

After practice, Nathan and Sam headed back home. One of the things Nathan was most relieved about was his ability to drive again. Now that his knee was stronger, he could operate the pedals in the car without hurting himself. It was great to have that freedom again. He had wondered if Haley would hesitate to let Sam drive with him, but she seemed to have complete trust in him again after he threw that bottle. She didn't hesitate at all. So, Nathan had been the one to pick Sam up from school each day while Haley worked.

Haley was still home on time every single day. Not only had Nathan settled into a nice routine, the three of them had as well. They'd settled in to being a family. He sometimes helped her cook dinner. He always helped her with cleaning up. The three of them would sit at the little table in the kitchen because it was more cozy than the table in the dining room. The dining room was used when there was company and they needed the room. For the three of them, the little table was best. It felt closer.

"Bring it in," Nathan ordered his team. The kids ran to the sidelines, Andre carrying the ball. "You guys did great today," Nathan told them. "You didn't let our loss get you down. You've come out here and you've worked hard. I'm proud of you guys and no matter what happens on Saturday, I know you're gonna give it your all. Okay, Crows on three."

All of the kids put their hands in the circle on top of Nathan's hand. He counted down. "One… two… three."

"CROWS!" They all yelled their team name before separating. Nathan nodded to the parents standing at the door of the gym, waiting to pick up their kids. He grabbed his clipboard. Beneath his game plans was his team roster. Beneath that was a sign in sheet. Each parent had to sign for their son or daughter before they could take them home. Nathan would then take the sheet to the community center office to turn in. He, of course, would have to sign for Sam. The parents all filed in, happily signing their names and making small talk with Nathan. Nathan signed his own name next to Sam's before setting the clipboard down.

"You ready to go, bud?" Sam was putting basketballs back on the rack and throwing towels into the laundry cart as Nathan put his things into his duffel bag. "We've got to get cleaned up before dinner tonight."

"Your grandma and grandpa are coming. Are they nice like Grandpa Jimmy and Grandma Lydia?"

Nathan thought about how to answer that. "They're different. They're nice. We better run so we're ready on time."

Nathan was going to have to clean Sam up and get him dressed. He also thought he should take a quick shower before company arrived. He was in a pair of jeans and a Crows polo shirt. Sure enough, Brooke had provided him with his own Crows related clothing. Embroidered under the Crows logo, it read "Coach Nathan Scott."

Nathan knew he had to get him and Sam ready, but he also wanted to make sure he was ready to help Haley once she got home from work. He remembered how stressed she was about meeting his mother and hoped she would be more relaxed about meeting Royal and Mae Scott. He knew how she got and didn't think that was likely. Haley wanted to make a good impression, especially on Nathan's family.

* * *

When Nathan and Sam walked in the house they could immediately smell food. Curiously, they walked into the kitchen. There they found Haley, still in the same clothes she wore to work, her feet bare, and an apron around her waist.

"Hey, you're home early," Nathan observed. He came up behind her, placed a hand on her hip, and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.

"Yeah," she answered. "I wanted to get dinner started. How was practice?"

"Good," Sam answered.

"They're doing well," Nathan added. "I was going to get the two of us cleaned up so we could help once you got home." He frowned a bit.

"Well, I've got this under control. Why don't you go ahead and get cleaned up and I can take care of everything else."

Nathan crossed his arms over his chest. "Hales. You're not gonna handle everything."

"It's fine," she protested.

"No, it's not. I'll take a quick shower and get Sam ready. Then, put us to work. Right, Sam?"

"Right!"

"Okay, okay," Haley relented.

With a satisfied smirk, Nathan and Sam headed to get ready.

Haley stopped them before they could leave the kitchen. "Hey," they turned. "I love you both."

"I love you," Nathan and Sam said in unison.

Haley's work day hadn't been as busy as she'd expected. She was in full recording mode now. She and Peyton had been working daily on recording her new material for her new album. Since they'd been working so hard, they both decided to leave early for the day. They'd both need to get ready for dinner tonight, especially Haley.

Royal and Mae would be arriving with Lucas and Peyton. Lucas had offered to drive them there. Haley couldn't help feeling a little nervous. She hoped that Lucas and Nathan were right about Royal and that he had mellowed out since Keith's shooting. She hoped that the part of his personality that had influenced Dan Scott so strongly wasn't as dominant anymore.

Nervously, Haley straightened out the collar on Nathan's shirt. Lucas, Peyton, Royal, and Mae were due to arrive any moment now. Haley had their dinner cooking in the oven, prepared to serve. Nathan had gotten dressed casually in a pair of jeans and black button up. He'd dressed Sam just as casually. He knew Haley probably would have preferred slacks to jeans, but Nathan wanted her to feel comfortable. He figured that if he and Sam were dressed casually, she might think of this less formally and actually relax.

"It's fine, Hales," he tried to calm her. "He's not nearly as bad as he used to be. And my grandma's gonna love you."

"Okay, I'm going to go check on the food one more time. It should be done soon." Haley scurried off to the kitchen, leaving Nathan and Sam in the living room.

She hadn't been gone long when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Nathan shouted. He got up and Sam followed him. Nathan could see Lucas from the window and opened the door. "Hey," Nathan greeted them all.

Lucas and Peyton walked in, saying a quick hello to Nathan. Peyton retreated to the kitchen, where she realized Haley would be.

"Nathan, how are you?" Royal took Nathan's hand in his, shaking it. Royal had a strong handshake. When Nathan had been just a boy, Royal had told him that a man should have a strong handshake.

Mae Scott was less formal. She immediately threw her arms around Nathan's neck, enveloping him in a giant hug.

Haley and Peyton emerged from the kitchen just as Mae was letting go of Nathan. Mae caught sight of her immediately. "And you're Haley. I've heard so much about you." Before Haley could respond, Mae threw her arms around Haley and hugged her.

Haley reluctantly returned the hug, but couldn't help feeling more at ease by Mae's demeanor. "It's really nice to meet you, Mrs. Scott," Haley said once she'd been let go of.

"Oh, it's Mae. And before you go calling him Mr. Scott, it's Royal."

"Why don't you give me a chance to say hello, Mae." Royal stepped away from Nathan and held his hand out for Haley. He gently took her hand in both of his. "It's nice to meet you, young lady."

"You too, Mr. Sc-, I meant Royal." Haley looked over at Nathan. He was smiling. She noticed that Sam was standing slightly behind Nathan, looking a little nervous. "Come here, sweetie."

Sam moved about an inch. Nathan placed his hand on the back of Sam's head comfortingly. "Grandma, grandpa, this here is Sam. Sam, these are my grandparents, Royal and Mae."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Scott," Sam quietly answered.

"Oh, not you too," Mae smiled. "Aren't you a gentleman. But you can call me Mae and you can call him Royal. Now, how old are you?"

Sam held out five fingers.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes," Haley told everyone.

Once they'd sat down to dinner Haley was bombarded with questions from Royal and Mae. They wanted to know everything about her. She didn't feel like she was being interrogated, she felt like they genuinely wanted to get to know her.

"You have a lovely home," Mae told her.

"Oh, thank you."

"Now," Royal began, "how's your knee, son?"

"No, basketball talk," Mae warned.

"I'm askin' the boy about his injury, Mae."

"My knee is doing better," Nathan interrupted. His grandparents used to argue about basketball talk over dinner before and he didn't want another argument erupting. Things had been going well so far and he didn't want to end that. "I'm going to therapy. I'm on my own two feet, so that's good."

"He's been doing great," Haley added.

Royal continued. "Do you think you'll get your game back?"

"Royal," Mae began.

"It's okay, grandma." Nathan turned his attention back to his grandfather. "I don't know, grandpa. Right now, I'm working on getting my knee strong enough so I don't injure it again. That's the priority. If I have to pick between playing ball again for a season or two or never walking, I'll give up the game. It's not the most important thing in my life."

Royal seemed to understand Nathan's meaning. "You're okay? With everything?"

"Honestly, I've never been better."

"Good. Good."

"Haley, Peyton tells me that there's a concert this week that we're invited to," Mae changed the subject.

"Yes," Haley wiped her mouth with her napkin. "We own a club called Tric. I'm doing a show in two nights. You're more than welcome to come."

"Clubs aren't really our thing, but we'd love to see you play," Royal told her.

"Good. I hope you enjoy it."

"I'm sure we will," Royal said.

"You're very talented. Deb got me all of your records," Mae added.

"Thank you very much."

The rest of dinner had gone well. Nathan and Lucas had been a little worried when Royal asked about Nathan coaching Sam's team. Sam didn't think anything of it and he excitedly told Royal and Mae all about the Crows. They would be in town on Saturday and had been invited to attend Sam's game.

* * *

Royal and Mae were situated at a large booth off to the side of Tric. The booths were slightly raised, so they would have a good view of the stage once Haley came out. They were joined by Brooke, Julian, Lucas, Peyton, and Nathan. The club was busy, too. Haley had only announced the concert a week before it was going to take place. She was also doing it for free. Because of this, fans had been lined up outside of Tric for hours.

Haley was now backstage, preparing to go on. Nathan sat in a chair near her vanity table as she paced the room.

"Nathan," she didn't break stride, "these songs are really personal and a lot of them are about you. A lot of the album is how I was feeling after your accident. Are you sure you're okay with this? I can always play my older material," she offered.

"Come here," he asked her. She did and he gave her arm a gentle tug, beckoning her to sit on his lap. "I know I was an ass."

"Nathan…"

Nathan kissed her softly to silence her. "I know I was an ass. But we made it through that. You get through things with your music and I love that about you. So, you perform your new songs. I know they're going to be great and I'm going to be cheering for you louder than anyone else. I love you."

"I love you too. Do you think you could head out, though? I need to hide under the table and get over my nerves and I would prefer if you don't see me like that."

Nathan chuckled. "Sure thing." He kissed her again. "I love you."

It wasn't long before there was a hush over the crowd as Peyton walked on stage. Nathan and everyone at the table with him listened as she introduced Haley.

"Well. How is everyone doing tonight?"

Peyton was met with enthusiastic cheers.

"You guys are in for a treat. I know a lot of you have been waiting for hours for this and it's gonna be fantastic. So, without further ado, let's give a hand for Haley James!"

The crowd went wild. Nathan let out a whistle and shouted Haley's name. She walked on stage, her hair down. She hadn't had it trimmed in a while, so it now reached below her shoulders. Under the stage lights, a few highlights shown amidst its chestnut color. Haley smiled at everyone. Her eyes scanned for Nathan and she gave him a special smile.

"It's great to see so many of you here," she began. "Well, I, um, I actually have a little announcement and surprise for all of you."

Again, the crowd cheered.

"I have a new album coming out," Haley beamed. "It doesn't have a title yet. But tonight, I'm going to be playing songs from it. I haven't played them before for an audience, so I hope you enjoy them." Without another word, Haley took the guitar from the stand and placed the strap over her neck. She adjusted it so it fit just right and began tuning the guitar.

Before she could begin to play, a man in the audience yelled, "MARRY ME!"

Haley laughed. "Sorry, I'm spoken for."

The concert was a huge hit. The audience loved all of Haley's songs. As she was playing her last during the encore, Nathan watched her as he had watched her through the entire show. He was enthralled. It had always been that way when he saw Haley perform, but he hadn't seen that in months. It had actually been over a year. That concert had been different. He'd tried to be charming and get into her good graces, but she was having none of it. This time, he got to go home with that beautiful woman on stage.

He loved when she told the audience member that she was spoken for. More than once, she'd made eye contact with him while she sang. He paid close attention to the songs. He listened to the lyrics. He watched her performance of them. He watched how her expression changed during the songs that were obviously from their dark period. He watched the serene expression on her face when she sang about being in love. He knew that those songs were about them. He knew that because she had told him. Their relationship was now immortalized in beautiful music. He was so proud of her. He knew exactly what she meant when she told him about the feeling she got while she watched him perform. He was getting the same feeling now, watching her.

Nathan had barely paid attention to anyone else at their table during the show. He knew that Peyton had stayed by the sound booth, making sure that things were working properly for Haley. Brooke had cheered almost as loudly as he had. She'd watched Haley since the beginning and was enormously proud of her best friend. Lucas was there. Julian had his arm around Brooke. Haley deviated from playing material from her new album to perform the song she had written for Julian's latest film. It was even better than the last one, the one she had been nominated for an Oscar for.

Before arriving that night, Nathan had wondered about his grandparents in a nightclub. They'd looked around when they got there, taking in the dark lighting, mixed with a few neon signs, especially around the bar in the center of the room. They had settled into their seats and Nathan hoped they had enjoyed the show. He didn't notice because he was too busy watching Haley. He wasn't really aware of anyone else until the show was over and Haley had left the stage. The crowd began to disperse from the stage area and make their way to the bar and dance floor.

"That's one talented woman you have," Royal complicated.

Nathan came out of his stupor. "I know." A goofy grin was plastered on his face. He picked something up from the table and stood up. "Excuse me." He stood up and walked backstage. He lightly knocked on the door to the dressing room. Peyton opened it and smiled at him.

"She's all yours."

"Thanks." Nathan walked in and found Haley sitting on a stool, unzipping her boots that went almost to her knee. "So," he smirked, "you're spoken for?"

Haley shrugged and smiled at him. "In a manner of speaking. I just didn't think my boyfriend would like some random stranger proposing to me. He gets a little jealous, you know." Haley slipped on a pair of flip flops and walked to Nathan, putting her arms around her neck.

"I don't get jealous," he protested.

Haley raised an eyebrow in response.

"Okay. I get a little jealous. Also, how dare that little punk propose before I have a chance to." Nathan realized what he said and frowned. "I mean, well-"

Haley brought her lips to his and kissed him softly, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. She didn't want him to feel nervous about what he'd said. She didn't want him to feel pressured. She knew how committed they were to each other. She knew that this was it and she knew that Nathan knew that this was it. That was all she needed at that moment. They both knew where their relationship was headed. "It's fine. I love you."

Nathan let out a little sigh of relief. "I love you too. My girl was hot up there!"

Haley blushed.

"I'm serious! You were great. I couldn't take my eyes off of you. Neither could anyone else."

"The songs… are you okay?"

"The songs were great, Hales. They were honest and they were great. I'm bothered that we had to go through something like that and that it's my fault, but there's nothing I can do about that. You got some great music out of it and we're fine now."

"You're wrong."

Nathan looked confused.

"No, you're right; we're fine now. I mean you're wrong that there's nothing you can do about it. You did do it. You came back to me and you worked hard. The other night, you told your grandpa that you'd never been better and the truth is, we've never been better. I'm actually grateful we went through that. I always thought we could make it through anything. Now I know we can."

"You've got a way with words, Haley James."

"Just with words?" Haley enjoyed these moments when she and Nathan flirted with each other. She inched closer to him, her lips inches from his.

"You have a way with a lot of things." Nathan slowly moved his hand down her back and brought it to her hip, where he let his fingers slip underneath her shirt, feeling her warm skin. "How about we go home and I tell you all about it?"

"Tell, huh?"

"Maybe show." He closed the minimal distance between them and kissed her. There was hunger in the kiss. All the want he felt for her while she was on stage came pouring out.

Haley grabbed the collar of his shirt, trying to bring him closer if it were possible. They were already so close. She had just brushed her tongue along Nathan's lips when her phone beeped.

"Ignore it," Nathan pleaded with her.

She did. Until it beeped again. "It might be Sam."

Nathan knew she was right. They had to answer. Sam was at Andre's that night. They would be picking him up on their way home.

Haley picked up her phone and read the text message, then laughed. She handed the phone to Nathan, who read the message. It was from Brooke.

"We know you two are making out back there," it read.

Haley hugged Nathan and buried her head into his shoulder. "Are we that obvious?"

"You gotta admit, Hales. We can't really keep our hands off of each other."

He was right. She couldn't deny it at all. The past few weeks, whenever they made out, it was getting more and more intense. Things were definitely escalating between them.

"We'd better get out there," she said. "Then, home to Sam."

Nathan nodded, then remembered that he was holding something in his hand. The hand that hadn't been caressing his girlfriend's soft skin moments earlier. "These are for you," he held out a small bouquet of purple flowers.

Haley took them eagerly and brought them to her nose. "I love them. I always love them."

"You know, we should plant some in the backyard. So we always have them," he suggested.

"I'd love that. So, what do you say we get home."

"Sounds good."

They walked out, side by side. Haley leaned into him slightly as they walked out. One arm was around his waist, the other holding her flowers. He had his arm firmly around her waist.

He thought about what he'd said earlier. It had been an accident. It had just popped out. He had said that he didn't like that someone else proposed to her before he did. He really didn't think about it before he said it. It was natural, though. It felt like the next step even without saying it. He knew it and if he thought about it, he realized he'd known it for a while. He was going to marry Haley James someday. Now, he'd basically told her that those were his plans. She hadn't gotten scared. Why would she? He knew how she felt about him. He didn't doubt it anymore. He didn't doubt anything about them. With that in mind, he gave her a light squeeze, pulling her closer.

* * *

**Note:** I hope you all like how that ended and where it's leading them to. Thanks again for reading and reviewing!


	42. Chapter FortyOne

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note: **Well, a much shorter wait than last time. Thank you for the reviews and for not abandoning the story during that long wait. This chapter feels a little clunky, but it gets us where we need to go in this story.

* * *

"Are you sure we aren't interrupting them?" Mae walked next to her husband as Nathan led them to the elevator at Haley, Brooke, and Peyton's offices. "I know how busy they must be up there. I remember the first time Lucas brought Peyton home, I couldn't believe how much work she was telling us the three of them did. Making music, designing clothes, running a nightclub."

"It's fine, Grandma. Haley invited you both to lunch. You're not interrupting them," Nathan assured her as they stepped into the industrial style elevator.

The concert had been the night before. Haley always planned her concerts earlier than most musicians, because she wanted to be home for Sam. They picked him up at Andre's house and he was exhausted. The minute they got him in his bed, he was fast asleep. Before leaving for the night, Haley had asked Royal and Mae if they'd like a tour of the studio and to have lunch.

After therapy, Nathan picked his grandparents up at their hotel and drove them to Haley's office. He was now walking in front of them as they made their way down the hall and into Haley and Peyton's office. Nathan looked up and noticed the door leading to the studio. The red light was on just above it, indicating that they were recording. Nathan figured that both Haley and Peyton must be in there, because neither was in the office.

"Well," Nathan addressed his grandparents, "this is their office. They do so much business together, they just share. The red light over the door means they're recording. When it turns off, we'll go inside. You can go ahead and sit down if you want," Nathan indicated to the seating area in the middle of the office.

Moments later, they were joined by Brooke walking into the room. She carried with her several sketches, holding them close to her chest.

"Boy Toy! Royal, Mae, it's nice to see you again."

Nathan grimaced. She just had to go and use that nickname in front of his grandparents. He hated when she used it in front of their friends. His grandparents were another story. He shook his head and glared at her.

"I'm gonna do you a favor, boy, and not even ask about that nickname," Royal told him.

"Thanks," Nathan responded.

"Good news for you! Your Halloween costume is almost done. You two are going to look magnificent!" Brooke squealed a little and smiled, almost bouncing in her designer pumps.

"I'm a little nervous," Nathan admitted. He really was. He had no idea what Brooke had planned for them. Apparently, she never told Haley what her Halloween costume would be until the day of. The only requirement was that it had to have a mask. Haley didn't want to be recognized while Sam was enjoying his trick-or-treating. It was his time to have fun. Nathan assumed his costume would also have a mask. He couldn't remember the last time he'd dressed up for Halloween. It had to have been in high school. Setting Brooke loose, he had no clue what was coming.

"I promise," Brooke assured him, "it'll be fabulous!"

"So, you're going out for Halloween?" Mae smiled at her grandson. She hadn't seen him since Thanksgiving. During that visit, she had noticed that something about him was different. She knew it had to be Haley. She knew it then. Like Deb, she'd had her suspicions about a woman with a son dating a man with the money Nathan had been making. She was quicker to be assured than Deb was. Peyton had stuck up for Haley and Mae had no reason to doubt her.

Now that she was seeing him nearly a year later, Mae couldn't help but to see that the change had continued. He was the caring, compassionate man she always knew he could be once he got out from under Dan's thumb. Mae had tried to raise Dan to be a good man. She didn't know what had happened. She didn't know what caused him to hate his brother so strongly that he tried to kill him. Nathan gave her hope. He didn't follow in his father's footsteps. He was forging his own path and he was doing it without needing basketball the way Dan had.

"Haley and me are taking Sam and his friend Andre out," Nathan explained.

Brooke continued, "They go in costume. I've been making Haley's costumes since she first took Sam out. Actually, I made her this costume in high school. She was Sandy from Grease, but the Sandy from the end of the movie with the leggings and the hair. She looked hot. You would have enjoyed it," she winked at Nathan. "Oh, the light's off."

Brooke made a beeline for the door, but paused. "Aren't you guys supposed to be having lunch?"

Nathan nodded.

"I need to talk to her about some dresses. Okay, it can wait. I'll see you guys later. Royal, Mae, it was nice seeing you again. If I don't see you, I hope you have a safe flight home."

"They'll be at the game tomorrow," Nathan said.

"Oh, well, I'll see you then!" In a flash, Brooke had left the office and headed toward the elevator.

"Come on in," Nathan said, opening the door. He saw Peyton behind the controls and Haley behind the glass. She was sitting on a stool. The microphone was in front of her and she had her guitar. The headphones she wore while recording were around her neck. She was absentmindedly strumming the guitar.

Peyton looked over her shoulder when she heard the door open. She smiled in greeting.

Nathan immediately turned his attention to Haley. She looked up and saw him, her face going from a peaceful expression to one of joy. Mae watched Haley's face, then Nathan's. It was easy to see just how happy there were to see each other. A person would think they hadn't seen each other in days, when in actuality they'd had breakfast together just hours before.

Peyton hit a button, "I think we're good for a break." She knew they'd be taking one anyway. It's just how it was when Nathan came to visit. He never intruded on their work, but she knew Haley would be distracted because she'd want to be with Nathan.

Haley walked out of the sound booth and into the adjoining room. She hugged Nathan and kissed him. "Hi."

"Hi."

"Hi, Royal. Hi, Mae." Haley smiled at them. "How are you two?"

"Impressed with all of this," Mae replied. "You two must be so proud."

"We've worked hard for it," Peyton replied. "Anyway, in there, behind the glass, is the recording booth. These are the controls for everything. And you saw our office when you came in."

They went to lunch at the same café that Nathan and Haley often frequented. Mae kept observing the two of them. Throughout the meal, they were almost always touching. Nathan would have his arm around Haley. She would rest her head on his shoulder. Their hands would be joined together on the top of the table.

"That Brooke," Royal said as they walked back to the studio, "she's a bit like a tornado, isn't she? I mean that in a good way."

Haley laughed. "A little bit, yeah. She's always going a mile a minute. It's funny you call her a tornado. We always say my sister, Taylor, is like a hurricane."

"You said you came from a big family," Royal recalled. "How many brothers and sisters?"

"Six."

Royal thought about that. "You're one of seven? Your mama had seven kids?"

Haley nodded. "It was definitely chaotic in our house growing up."

"I can imagine. Where do you fall in?"

"I'm the youngest. If you count Brooke and Peyton, I'm one of nine."

"You all are close," Mae stated.

"Best of friends. We've been through everything together."

"It's been a lovely afternoon," Royal told Haley as they got back to the office. I don't mean to rush things, but I do have to meet a friend this afternoon.

"Yeah," Nathan answered, "I'll get you and grandma back to the hotel."

"You're not rid of me so easily, young man," Mae announced. "You're taking me shopping."

"What?"

Haley tried to keep herself from laughing at the look on Nathan's face. His jaw dropped open and he blinked.

"Well, looks like you two have a busy afternoon ahead of you. Don't let me keep you," Haley teased.

"But I pick up Sam," Nathan said.

"I picked up Sam for years without help. I love that you go get him and how much you love doing it, but go, spend time with your grandma."

Nathan looked at the two of them looking at him. He knew this was a losing battle. "Fine. I'll see you and Sam at home. I love you," he leaned in to kiss her.

"I love you too."

Haley and Mae hugged before Mae and Nathan left.

* * *

Mae convinced Nathan to take her to Beverly Hills. When she had said she wanted to go shopping, she really meant it. She wanted a complete experience and couldn't think of anything better than her grandson accompanying her to some of the best shops in California. Now, Nathan was walking next to her down the street, carrying a bag she had purchased at Barney's.

Mae had wanted a chance to talk to Nathan. She wanted to be able to talk to him with no one else around. It was something she'd been thinking about since they first had dinner at Haley's house several nights earlier. The more she saw Nathan and Haley together, the more she wanted to ask.

"You're going to marry that girl," Mae told her grandson.

Nathan stopped dead in his tracks. Now, twice in less than twenty-four hours, the subject of marriage had come up twice.

Mae had walked a few steps ahead of Nathan, but turned around when she noticed he was no longer beside her. He was standing on the sidewalk, staring at the concrete. Mae could see the wheels turning in his head. Her expression softened.

"I'm not trying to pressure you, Nathan. I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't so sure it's what you both want."

"It is. It is what we both want," he whispered. He looked around him at the people who were walking by. He hoped they weren't listening to his conversation. He walked up and met Mae. He kept his voice low. "We do want that. We haven't really talked about it. Not marriage."

"Then how do you know?"

"Because this is it. For both of us."

"Well, when are you going to propose to the girl?"

Nathan hesitated to answer.

"Nathan…"

He stayed quiet.

"Nathan Royal Scott, talk to me."

He ran his hand through his hair, something that Lucas was more likely to do. Again, he looked down at the concrete. "I messed up," he finally answered. "After my accident, I messed up. It took us some time to get back to where we were. I was bad. I just… I wouldn't have blamed her if she never wanted to see me again after that, but she did. I think… I know we're stronger than ever. I just don't want her to feel like I'm pushing her into anything."

Mae shook her head. "That's a cop out and you know it." They had resumed walking. "You love the girl."

"More than anything."

"You love her son."

"Like he's my own, grandma. We haven't really said anything, but he's my son. Not by blood, but he's my son."

Mae chose her words carefully. "You've come a long way, Nathan. I watched you when you were growing up. It was the same path your father was on. I let your grandfather bully him into playing basketball. I let him drill it into him that he had to be the best. Then, I saw Danny doing it to you. You're not that man. You're better than that. You're stronger than that. I've been watching you. Nathan, last night at that concert, you almost had little cartoon hearts in your eyes when you were watching her. She loves you too. It doesn't take a genius to see that. So, if this is what you want, if you want to propose to her and marry her, then you do that. Don't be afraid of anything."

As Nathan digested his grandmother's words, he looked across the street. He hadn't been paying attention to where they were walking. He looked at the building with its name etched into stone. He looked at the two small windows that were on either side of the steel doors. The doors resembled a vault. The entire building looked like a vault. He again looked at that name etched into the building, above the door.

"TIFFANY & CO."

Mae noticed where he was looking and a smile crept onto her features. "It wouldn't hurt to look."

Nathan nodded. He'd been told not to be afraid of anything. It wouldn't hurt to at least look at rings. He put his hand gently on Mae's back and led her to the crosswalk.

Walking into the store, they found it to be quiet. There was no music playing inside. The lighting was somewhat dark, but the cases along the walls of the room were illuminated. A man in a black suit and crisp white shirt approached them. He looked Nathan up and down. Nathan wondered how many customers came in wearing an old polo shirt, slightly frayed cargo shorts, sneakers, and a baseball cap. He didn't plan on doing this today. The store was just here and he wanted to look.

"Good afternoon. How can I help you today?"

Mae noticed Nathan's hesitation and took the lead. "My name is Mae and this is my grandson, Nathan. We'd like to look at rings."

"I see. Any rings in particular?" The man looked pointedly at Nathan. Having served many customers over the years, he knew what most men Nathan's age were getting at when they came into the store looking for rings.

"En-en-engagement rings," Nathan stammered, keeping his voice low.

"I see. Perhaps you would be more comfortable in one of our private rooms?"

"You have those?"

"Yes, sir. To ensure absolute privacy for our customers."

"That would be wonderful," Mae replied.

The man, his name was Stefan, brought them to the back of the store. He took out a set of keys from his pocket and unlocked the door to a small room. Inside was a cherry oak table with a lamp on top of it. On one side of the table were two large arm chairs. A small chair was on the other side. Stefan held out a chair for Mae as Nathan took a seat next to her.

"Did you have any particular style in mind, Mr. Scott?"

Nathan looked at Stefan. He hadn't told him his last name.

Stefan recognized the look on Nathan's face and nodded. "I know who you are. And I assure you, the discretion of our customers is a high priority for us."

"Thanks." Nathan thought about rings. He thought about Haley and the jewelry she did wear. "Well, she doesn't wear a lot of big jewelry. She likes things that are simple. But I want her to have something really beautiful. She deserves that."

"And what about the band?"

Nathan looked at Stefan, confused.

"He means gold, platinum, white gold," Mae answered.

"Oh. Well, she usually wears silver looking stuff."

Stefan nodded. "Why don't I bring you a few of our different styles? You can take a look and if you don't see something you love or think is right for the lady, we'll look at something else. We have many you can choose from."

"Okay. That sounds good."

"This is exciting," Mae enthused after Stefan had left the room. He wasn't gone long. When he returned, he was carrying a narrow box. He set it on the table in the room after closing the door. Laid out were five sparkling rings.

Nathan looked at them all. Each was beautiful. He knew Haley would love any of them. None of them really stood out to him. One looked like it could almost be it, but not quite. He pointed to it. "I like that one, but it isn't quite right."

"Very good, Mr. Scott. I have a few that are similar. I'll be back in a moment."

Again, Stefan left Nathan and Mae alone. This time, they stayed quiet. Again, Stefan returned quickly. True to his word, he had five more rings, each similar to the one Nathan had liked. Stefan began going through each one individually. He began explaining color, cut, and carat. He explained the settings. As he was talking about the second ring, Nathan glanced at the one two rings over on the tray he'd brought in. He picked it up, not stopping to think if that was allowed. He turned it around in his fingers. It was beautiful.

It featured a princess cut diamond. Halfway around on both sides of the diamond, the band was set with even more. It was subtle, but it was beautiful. He could imagine Haley wearing this ring for the rest of her life. He knew it the minute he picked it up. He knew this was the ring.

When they walked into the store, he wasn't sure he would even find a ring. He would look. He would look at fifty rings if that's what it would take. This was the ring. This was the ring he would be proposing to Haley with.

"This one," Nathan stated.

"Excellent choice, Mr. Scott. Princess cut, platinum setting, two carats. I can show you some other rings…"

"No. This is it. This is her ring." Her ring. It felt so right saying it. This was going to be Haley's ring the moment he gave it to her.

"I will draw up the paperwork and prepare the ring for you."

"Thanks." Nathan thought for a second. Tiffany & Co. was the place with those bright blue bags. If he got caught walking out with that bag, the entire surprise would be given away. He didn't know when he was going to propose to Haley. He wanted to wait for just the right moment. He wanted it to be perfect for her. She didn't know he was going to be proposing at all. He definitely didn't want the tabloids finding out before Haley did.

"Hey, Stefan, can I look at some earrings out there while you're taking care of that?"

"Of course, Mr. Scott. Would you like something that would go with the ring you've chosen?"

"Oh, yeah, that would be great. Thanks."

Nathan and Mae walked into the main room. Stefan indicated a display case and Nathan and Mae went to look at it. Before leaving, Nathan had chosen two pairs of earrings in addition to the engagement ring.

When they walked outside into the bright California sunlight, Nathan pulled one of the boxes out of the bag. He handed it to his grandmother.

"Nathan…"

"Open it. They're all yours."

"Nathan, you shouldn't have." Mae opened the box to see a pair of diamond studded earrings.

"Why not? Lucas made me invest my money in case my career ever ended. Guess it's lucky he did that. Anyway, you were a big help today."

"Oh, I just sat there."

"Yeah, but you also told me not to be afraid and I'm not."

Mae hugged her grandson tightly and placed her earrings into her purse, not wanting to hold them out in the open in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Now, do you have any idea how you're going to pop the question and is there any chance you'll do it while we're still here?"

Nathan let out a little laugh. "I don't know. I want it to be just right. But I promise when I do it, you'll be one of the first to know."

* * *

Nathan dropped Mae off at the hotel and drove himself home. After all of that walking, he really needed to rest his knee. The first thing he needed to do was hide the ring. He wracked his brain, trying to think of where he could keep it that Haley wouldn't find it. He could put it in some corner of the cupboard in the bathroom. But what if something went wrong with the plumbing and the bathroom flooded? He knew he was being paranoid, but he didn't want to take that chance. He thought about putting it in the back of his sock drawer. But Haley did a lot of the laundry, which meant she was in there putting his clean socks away. He could just do laundry before she got to it. She usually got to the laundry before he had a chance, so he didn't think that was a good idea.

He looked through their bedroom, his hands on his hips and a frown on his features. He looked at the closet and crossed the room, approaching it. He thought of putting it in the corner of the top shelf. Haley couldn't reach it there. When he was looking at that shelf, he caught sight of a box. Inside that box were his shoes that he wore when he played ball. He wore them at his professional games. He wouldn't be playing anytime soon. He wasn't sure he would be playing ever again. If he did, it would be a while. It definitely wouldn't be until after he proposed. That was it. He would put it in one of his shoes. Haley would never think to look in there. She would never have a reason to look in that box.

Satisfied that he'd found a good hiding spot, Nathan went downstairs to prepare an ice pack. He set the blue box with a white ribbon around it with Haley's earrings behind the sofa cushion. He was happy that he got her something. He had his motives. He wanted to make sure that if he got photographed walking out of a jewelry store with a bag that Haley wasn't suspicious. He could have stopped with just getting something for his grandmother, but he loved getting something for Haley. He couldn't wait to see the surprise on her face when she saw the box and then opened it.

He was waiting on the sofa with his knee propped up when Sam came running into the room. Nathan could hear Haley set her things on the table in the entry as she walked in. Sam hopped on the sofa and sat next to Nathan. He immediately settled in and turned his attention to the TV, where Nathan had Sports Center on.

"How was school, bud?"

Sam shrugged. "You know."

Nathan laughed. "I do know."

"Hey, is your knee okay?" The first thing that Haley noticed was that Nathan's knee was propped up on the table.

"Yeah, just a little sore."

"I'm sorry, I didn't think of that when I told you to go shopping with her."

"It's fine, Hales. I'll just use the cane tomorrow."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. It's fine. How did recording go?"

"Good." She smiled and came to sit next to him. "Great, actually." She tried fixing the cushion she'd sat against, not quite getting it.

Nathan smiled, knowing why Haley couldn't get comfortable. "Maybe a toy or something got left under there?"

"Yeah, maybe." Haley lifted the cushion and spotted the box, not so carefully hidden. "Nathan, what…" Haley picked up the box, recognizing where it was from immediately. She didn't need the small black lettering to tell her.

Nathan couldn't help the smile that came to him as he watched her astonished expression when she saw the box. "Open it."

"Nathan, what did you-?"

"Open it," he repeated.

"What is it, mommy?"

"I think your mom should open it and find out, don't you?"

"Open it, mommy!"

Slowly, Haley untied the white ribbon on the box. She lifted the top and saw a smaller black velvet box inside. Turning the light blue box upside down, she let the velvet box fall into her hand. She opened it, hearing a tiny creek as its hinges moved. Inside was a pair of earrings, each with two round diamonds in them. Haley gasped and looked at her boyfriend. "They're beautiful."

"You like 'em?"

"Nathan, I can't believe you did this? They're gorgeous; I love them. Thank you." She went to touch them, but withdrew her hand. It was almost as if she was afraid to touch them. Haley wasn't one to spend a lot of money on herself, especially when it came to jewelry. She liked to keep the things she and Sam owned modest. She wanted her son to stay grounded. This was the first pair of diamond earrings she had ever owned. Whenever she wore them to awards shows or professional functions, they were always on loan from a jeweler and were promptly returned the following day. She didn't know why Nathan got her such an extravagant gift, but she was touched by it.

"I just wanted to get you something," Nathan explained, not telling her the entire truth. He was still waiting for the right moment for that.

Haley took out the hoop earrings she was currently wearing. She finally brought herself to touch the earrings Nathan had gotten her. She took them from their resting place in the box and put them in her ears. "What do you think?"

"They're pretty, mommy."

"They look even more beautiful now that you're wearing them," Nathan said. He leaned forward and put his hand on her face. His thumb traced her jawline and reached her earlobe.

"I love you," she told him, moving her cheek further into his touch, kissing the palm of his hand. She laid down next to him. Sam was on the other side of Nathan, his attention back on Sports Center. Nathan and Haley were sure he didn't understand half of what was going on on the show, but he still liked to watch. It was something Nathan did and something Sam thought he should do to be more like Nathan.

When the show ended, Haley let Sam play on his Wii. Sam was in front of the TV, trying to drive while playing Mario Kart, when Haley spoke quietly. "I need to fix dinner, but I wanted to talk to you about something."

"What's going on?" Nathan looked down at the woman with her head on his chest. She was looking up at him.

"Well, the album should be out in the spring. That means that I'll have to go on tour. In the summer, when Sam isn't in school. I usually only tour about eight weeks. I do just over fifty shows. I always take Sam with me."

Nathan tried to keep his expression neutral while he listened to her, but he wasn't liking this. Eight weeks without Haley and Sam? They hadn't been apart that long since they got together. That was two months. Still, it was Haley's career and she loved it. He had just watched her the night before and had seen how much she loved performing and getting that reaction from her fans. Eight weeks. He didn't know if he could do eight weeks without her.

"And I was thinking," Haley continued, "that this time, you could come, too. I understand if you don't want to. It'll probably be boring for you since I'm on stage every night. I just, I don't want to be away from you for two months. I thought it might be something fun for the three of us to do together. I know we didn't get to go on vacation this past summer and this isn't the same, but it could still be fun."

"I'll be there." Nathan didn't even hesitate. The minute she said he could come too, he was there. Now he wouldn't have to know what it would be like to be without the two most important people in his life for eight weeks. He could go with them. Every night, he would get to watch Haley on stage doing what she loved. "I can't think of a better way to spend next summer."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

* * *

**Note**: First things first. I have no idea if Tiffany & Co. have private rooms. Maybe they do. Second, I need to ask you for your patience. I'm very, very busy right now with real life commitments. Because of that it might take me a while to get the next chapter up. I hope it doesn't. I want to write it for you and I hope I have time to.

I've been asked about how much longer left for this story. I know it will have at least five more chapters. Beyond that, I don't know. I don't want to drag it out. But, it is winding down. Which brings me to my next question for you guys. I have two ideas and I want to know which one you'd like to read more. So...

- A Civil War era love story

- A 1940's noir mystery.

I also have a one shot that I began writing months ago I could finish quickly if I really focused on it. But, since this one is getting closer to being finished, it's time to start thinking of other stories.


	43. Chapter FortyTwo

**Disclaimer: **One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** So, three chapters in a week. Making up for my month of not updating? Enjoy. :) Thank you for the reviews. Maybe with this chapter we'll hit six hundred!

* * *

Sam and Andre walked a few feet ahead of Nathan and Haley, happily carrying bags of candy. There were only a few more houses left until they got back to Andre's, where Sam would be staying that night. Nathan was sure that he and Haley looked like quite the pair, walking down the sidewalk holding hands. He hadn't been disappointed when Brooke brought over their Halloween costumes. He had actually been pretty excited. Haley had commented that he was almost as excited as Sam got on Christmas morning. He rushed to get ready while Brooke whisked Haley into her bedroom to get her ready.

Now, his gorgeous girlfriend was by his side. She was clad head to toe in a patchwork of black vinyl, stitched together with that Nathan assumed was twine or something. Brooke had included heels that added three inches to Haley's height. The mask covered everything except for her mouth. Brooke had insisted that Haley wear bright red lipstick to complete the ensemble. A coiled whip dangled from her hip. Nathan couldn't help but sneak glances at Haley's figure when she wasn't looking. He'd been caught a couple of times, but he couldn't help himself. His girl had a great body and this costume showed every gorgeous curve. So, Nathan as Batman walked next to Haley as Catwoman.

Sam was dressed as Robin. Brooke had really done well. Nathan had previously thought that couple and family costumes were corny, but this was great. Batman had always been one of his favorites and his costume was almost exactly like the ones in the movies. Before leaving the house to pick up Andre, Nathan and Sam had been running around the house in their costumes as they waited for Haley to come down.

Even under a mask, Nathan could see the look of apprehension on her face when she came down. She wasn't one to wear something like this. Brooke had known that when she made the costume. Nathan couldn't help but look at her appreciatively, though. His eyes traveled from her eyes and down lower and lower before finally he said, "Wow." He could see the blush on her cheeks creeping just underneath the mask. "I know it's not really you, but you look amazing, Hales."

She smiled shyly before going into the living room. She had her phone and keys in her hand, but nowhere to put them. She looked at Nathan and noticed that Brooke had included a belt with his costume with an assortment of compartments. Most likely, these were for Batman's wide array of gadgets. She handed her phone and keys to him, knowing he'd know what she wanted. After securing them, he brought her closer, snaking his arm around her waist. He leaned in closer so only she could hear him, "You look amazing. Seriously."

They'd walked the entire neighborhood. With the heels Brooke had insisted she wear, Haley was grateful that Andre's house was within walking distance of her own. Sam and Andre, who was actually wearing a Laker uniform bearing the number twenty-three and the name Scott, were having a blast. They'd already begun eating their candy, but only after Nathan or Haley checked to make sure it was wrapped properly. They were promised five pieces for the night. If Halloween had fallen on a weekend, Haley would have allowed more. But, Andre's mom would have to oversee the boys coming down from their sugar high and take them to school the next morning. Haley didn't normally let Sam have sleepovers on a school night, but it was Halloween.

"Well, you've hit every house in the neighborhood," Nathan observed as they walked to Andre's front door. Mrs. Fields was standing in the doorway waiting for them. "Let's see that haul." Both boys held their candy bags out for Nathan to look. "Nice work!" He held his fist out and Sam and Andre took turns bumping. "You're gonna be good for Mrs. Fields, right?"

Nathan, like Haley, was a little worried now whenever Sam spent the night at Andre's. It had been over four months since they took a cab to Nathan's house. Mrs. Fields now kept a much more watchful eye over the boys. Sam knew better than to pull anything like that again. It had been well over a month after the incident before Haley really let him have any freedom again. Nathan and Haley both felt it was necessary to reinforce the fact that Sam needed to listen to Mrs. Fields, though.

"You can call us if you need anything," Haley added. "Be a good boy and have fun at school tomorrow. We'll be there to get you in the afternoon. Okay?"

"Okay. See you tomorrow, mommy, d-Nathan."

Nathan and Haley exchanged a look, both knowing what had just almost happened. She looked back at her son, who looked as though nothing had happened.

"I love you, sweetie." Haley hugged Sam, then stood up.

"Love you, buddy. Have a good night." Nathan and Sam hugged as well. When Nathan stood, he did it carefully. Jerry had told him that his knee was almost completely recovered. In another few weeks, he'd be able to stop with the current therapy schedule and resume a more normal workout routine.

"Have a good night, Nathan, Haley," Mrs. Fields told them after ushering Sam and Andre inside.

"You too," they both told her. They waited until the door had closed before they began their short walk home.

They'd gone a few feet when Haley stumbled a little.

"You okay?" Nathan reached out and held her arm as she steadied herself.

"Yeah. If these shoes don't kill me I'm going to kill Brooke. Would you be okay with that? Raising Sam and visiting me in prison?"

Nathan laughed, but then stopped when he remembered what had happened a few moments earlier. "I think he almost called me dad, Hales."

"Yeah, I think he did," she agreed. She was silent for a few seconds, but took Nathan's large, gloved hand into her smaller, also gloved hand. "Are you okay with that? If you're not, I can talk to him."

Nathan looked around. There were families all around, going door to door in search of candy. "Why don't we talk about this at home, Hales."

She nodded and they resumed their walk. The house was only a block away.

"I could carry you. Give you a piggy back ride," Nathan offered.

Haley sighed. "I would take you up on that, but I don't want you to hurt your knee."

"My knee is fine, Hales. Jerry said so. He said I can almost go back to being one hundred percent normal in a couple of weeks."

"Almost. He said almost. So, let's not push our luck. I'm so proud of you and how well you've done."

"It's nice to have a good support system with you and Sam. Lucas too. But really, being able to have you and Sam with me as I went through all of this has meant everything."

They were now walking into the house, both of them yanking off their masks as they headed upstairs. When Haley turned the light on in their bedroom, she noticed the makeup around Nathan's eyes. Brooke had made him put it there so his eyes would look as black as possible under the mask. She had put similar makeup on Haley.

"We look like a couple of raccoons," she laughed.

Nathan laughed with her, but stopped when he remembered their conversation on the way home. "He's my son, Hales. I know we never talked about it and I don't want to sound like I'm laying some kind of claim on him. I don't know if you see me that way or even if he does. But he's my son in every way except biologically, but that doesn't matter to me. It's just a little detail as far as I'm concerned."

Haley tried to keep the tears forming in her eyes from falling, knowing that with the makeup around her eyes, she'd be left with black streaks down her face. "You're his father. I wasn't looking for a father for him, that wouldn't have been fair to any of us. But you're his father. I've thought of you that way for a while now and I thought maybe you felt the same way, I just didn't know how to say it to you. You're his father and I love you so much for that. We're a family. You're his father. He's our son."

Nathan crossed the room to Haley in two quick strides. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her a foot off of the ground. He didn't kiss her. He hugged her. He took her into his arms and hugged her, burying his face in her shoulder.

"I've got a son," he said.

"You've got a son," she repeated.

"Do, do you think he'll be okay with that?"

Nathan set Haley down and she held both of his hands in hers, both of which were now free of gloves. "He almost called you dad tonight because it's what he feels. I think he maybe started thinking of you that way before you and I even admitted we were thinking of it. He just doesn't know how to talk to us about it because he's so young."

"So, tomorrow, we should sit down and talk to him. Do you think that's a good idea?"

She nodded. "I do. I really think he'll be happy about it. Now, why don't you help me out of this thing?"

"I would love to," Nathan replied, a flirtatious smirk on his face.

"Down boy," she teased, but she wasn't sure why. She turned her back and waited for him to get her zipper down. Once he did, she faced him again and kissed him softly. Going to the dresser for clothes, she couldn't think of a reason why she didn't just go for it. She shook her head and got out her clothes, getting dressed, and tried not to think about it anymore. With each passing day, she was finding fewer and fewer reasons not to take their relationship to the next level.

Usually, for an evening at home alone, Nathan and Haley would put on pajamas and curl up in bed. Tonight, they expected some of the neighborhood kids to come by for candy. So, both were comfortable in jeans and t-shirts and bare feet, snuggled on the sofa with the TV on. They could hear the light pattern of rain that had begun to fall.

There wasn't much on television, so they settled on a Twilight Zone marathon. Haley had her head on Nathan's chest while his hand moved back and forth over her arm, both warming her and sending chills throughout her body. Her arm was around his waist. She stifled a yawn as she watched Rod Sterling introduce the next episode.

Nathan looked down at Haley, not paying attention to what was on TV. They hadn't gotten any trick-or-treaters in a while and he was thinking they may have seen their last, with the rain now coming down more steadily. She'd looked amazing that night. She'd looked hot. But nothing compared to how she looked now. She was completely flawless. Her face was free of makeup, her hair was flowing free below her shoulders, her skin was smooth and soft.

"It's been a good night," he told her.

"It has. It's been a great night."

"I want it to always been like this."

Nights like this were something that Nathan had come to cherish. When he was a teenager, he loved parties. He loved getting drunk and having sex with cheerleaders or any other piece of tail that threw herself at him. That behavior continued through college and then through the beginning of his professional career. Nathan Scott was a player. He hadn't respected women. That behavior came back to haunt him when Renee Richardson decided to claim he'd gotten her pregnant.

Meeting Haley James, he wished that boy had never existed. This was the man he was supposed to be. He was supposed be here at night holding the woman he loved with their son sound asleep in his bed, or watching television with them. Haley knew how he'd been when he was younger and she loved him for the man he was and he believed he was the man he was because of Haley.

She'd given him everything. She gave him a son and she gave him herself. She gave him a family and a life far more worth living than the one he'd had before.

"I want it to always be like this," he said again. "I'll be right back." He lifted her off of him and stood. He was a man on a mission and he knew exactly what he was going for.

When he returned, Haley was sitting on the edge of the leather sofa, looking at him with a mixture of concern and confusion. He stopped in front of her, holding the box in his hand and rubbing his thumb over it. He wasn't afraid.

"I love you," he said before lowering himself onto one knee.

Haley scooted forward even though she was already on the edge of the sofa. "Oh my God," she breathed.

"Haley, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." His palms were sweaty, he wasn't afraid, but that didn't stop him from being nervous. "I didn't expect this, but we have a family and it's the best thing that's ever happened to me. This has been the best year of my life, Haley. Because it's been with you and Sam. I want it to always be like this. I want to spend the rest of my life making you as happy as you make me. Marry me."

Nathan held out the box and opened it. Haley gasped when she saw the ring. She slid off of the edge of the sofa and kneeled in front of Nathan. She took his trembling hand in hers. She looked from the ring to him. If his shaking hands didn't say it, she could tell from his face how nervous he was.

"Yes."

The relief on his face was instantaneous. "Yeah?"

"Yes." She couldn't help the smile on her face. Earlier she tried to keep herself from crying, but not now. She let the tears freely flow down her cheeks. "Yes. Yes, I want to marry you. Yes, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You already make me so happy." She took his face in both of her hands and kissed him with everything in her.

Nathan could taste the salt from her tears as they kissed. He laced his fingers through her hair as she scooted closer to him, both of them still on their knees. "I love you, Haley." He pulled away and turned his attention back to the box in his hand, the one that hadn't been in her hair. He pulled the ring out and took her left hand. He slipped it onto her ring finger and smiled.

For the first time, Haley really looked at the ring. Her eyes grew as big as saucers. "Nathan, it's beautiful."

"You like it? Does it fit okay? They guy said it could be re-sized."

"This is beautiful, Nathan. I can't believe you got me something this beautiful."

"Why not? You deserve the best. I saw it and I knew it was yours."

"I can't believe how much I love you," she marveled. She looked down at the ring on her finger and then back at Nathan. She looked into his eyes and could see easily how much he loved her. She kissed him again and felt her passion for him grow. She pulled away and looked at him again. "Come with me." She stood up but held onto his hand.

Haley led Nathan to the stairs. She turned to look at him before walking up the stairs. Still holding onto his hand, she brought him to their bedroom. One lamp illuminated the entire room. In the corner, on the chair, were their Batman and Catwoman costumes. She stopped in front of their bed, which she had made earlier that morning, and looked at him. She took both of his hands in hers and kissed him softly.

"Make love to me."

Nathan felt his throat go dry at her words. He wanted her. He had always wanted her. If he was being honest, from the moment he saw her, he knew she was more than just someone he could sleep with, but he also knew that she was the most desirable woman he'd ever seen. Then, he learned of her past. They'd taken things slow and sex was never the first thing on his mind. Even when they were together and things escalated, he was always mindful of her past experiences. He could have continued. He could have easily made love to her. He wanted to, every time. No woman had ever turned him on as much as Haley James could with a simple touch.

She had told him not long ago that this would be happening soon. Nathan knew that she wouldn't have said it if she hadn't meant it. But he also didn't want her to feel obligated. He was fine with them taking things slowly. He didn't mind it as much as he would have expected. He still got to spend his days with Haley. They had progressed, though. Their touching had becoming filled with even more want. When she took him into her hands, touching him and bringing him to his release, he would get hard again just thinking about what it would be like once he was actually inside her.

When he didn't respond, Haley, still holding his hands, kissed him. "Nathan."

"I didn't propose to you to get you into bed, Haley," he explained.

She smiled. She couldn't help smiling. She was happy. Happy didn't even begin to describe it. "I know, Nathan. I know you'd never do anything to push me. But I want this. I want you. I want us. I want you to have me. Every part of me." She leaned on her tip toes and kissed him again.

"I don't want you to do anything you're not comfortable with, Haley. We can't wait as long as you want to."

"I don't want to wait anymore, Nathan. I'm ready. I've been ready. I've gotten to the point where I can't figure out why I'm waiting anymore. I'm not afraid to be with you. I'm not afraid for you to see all of me. I'm not afraid of being that close or intimate. I was afraid. For so long. Because of what happened. But I'm done with that. That doesn't have any hold over me anymore. It won't have any hold on our relationship. I want you and I'm so sure of that. Make love to me, Nathan."

Nathan took one of his hands from her grasp. He had a hard time denying her anything. He ran his thumb along her cheek. "If at any time you want to stop, we'll stop."

"We won't need do," she said with certainty. "I know you know this, but I've never done this before. I'm not scared, but I am nervous, Nathan."

"I'd never hurt you."

"I know. I love you."

"I love you, Haley."

Their lips met. They began slowly. They were kissing leisurely when Nathan pulled away.

"What's wrong?"

Nathan looked down at his bare feet. He hadn't even thought of it until now. He'd always been so careful, but he and Haley had been taking things so slowly. "I don't have anything. I mean for protection," he whispered, even though it was only the two of them in the room.

"Nathan," she lifted his chin with her finger. "When is the last time you were with someone?"

"Hales."

"Nathan, we've been together for almost a year and I know you haven't been with anyone. I know you're fine and you know I'm fine."

He nodded. "I want kids with you. I want to fill an entire house with our kids. Little brothers and sisters for Sam. But we just got engaged. It hasn't even been half an hour. I mean, we said someday."

Haley nodded. "I know. I know. It's not time for that yet. I'm on the pill, Nathan."

He didn't think it was possible to look as surprised as he had when she asked him to make love to her, but he was.

Seeing the look on his face, Haley explained. "When your dad visited and Sam nearly drowned, you jumped in the pool to save him. I didn't even see what had happened. I just saw you running to the pool, no crutches. Then I saw what you were running to. Then, in the hospital, you didn't care about your knee. You cared about Sam. That's when I knew. I knew that after everything after your accident that we were okay. I knew that was it. I was done waiting. I wanted it to be right. I didn't know when it would be, but I knew I wanted to be ready when it was time. So," she smiled, "do I have to ask you again to make love to me?"

Instead of saying anything, Nathan took her face in both of his hands and kissed her. He lifted her, just as he did earlier when they stood in almost exactly the same spot and she told him that he was Sam's father. He carried her a few steps until they were at the bed. He never stopped kissing her and took the initiative to slip his tongue into her mouth. She reciprocated, their tongues dueling.

Haley felt the desire swirling within her as their kisses became more intense and more full of want. Nathan couldn't see how turned on she was when they made out. She could tell. His reactions to her were more externalized. She could tell just how much he wanted her. She could tell him how much she wanted him, but he couldn't feel it. He would know. He would be able to feel just how wet she was with want for him. She could feel it as they continued kissing and the anticipation for what they were about to do hit her.

Haley sat on the edge of their bed. She guided his head down to hers, their lips never parting except for air. Knowing that Nathan might need a little sign to know that she was still okay with what they were doing, she lowered herself onto the mattress and scooted toward the headboard, making sure that Nathan would come with her. He was careful, as always, not to put his full weight on top of her.

Once they were laying on the bed together, Nathan put his weight on his elbows. Haley's hands moved from his head, down his neck, down his back, and finally to the hem of his t-shirt. Her hands then moved beneath his shirt, feeling his warm skin. She knew he would be resuming normal workouts soon, but his body gave no signs that anything had changed. He was still in great shape and Haley loved the feel of his muscles underneath her fingertips.

Wanting to get a more unobstructed feel for him, she lifted his shirt higher and higher. Knowing what she was doing, Nathan took his lips from hers so she could pull his shirt over his head. With the shirt gone, she raked her finger nails over his chest, making him shudder. He was still sitting up a bit, so she sat up to kiss him again. Nathan took advantage of her upright position to slowly lift her shirt higher and higher. Again, they broke their kiss. Nathan tossed Haley's shirt aside, not caring where it landed.

He looked down at the white lace bra covering her breasts. He loved those breasts. They fit perfectly in his hands and he loved the reaction he got from Haley when he licked and sucked on them. He could see her taut nipples through the fabric. She was flushed. There was a pink tinge to her skin, going from her face, down her neck, and to her chest.

So far, they were doing nothing more than what they'd already done countless times. Nathan had his knees on either side of her thighs and they were still sitting up. He kissed her again, this time harder than before. He lightly nipped at her lip and heard her moan into his mouth. His hands moved her bra straps off of her shoulders. He pulled away to look at her, but before he could do anything else, she kissed him again. He knew he could take the bra off completely. They'd already gone further than that. He unclasped it and threw it with the rest of their clothes.

Wanting to feel his skin on hers, Haley pulled him close. A layer of sweat was already covering both of their bodies as they became hotter and hotter. Haley pulled him down on top of her, liking the feel of his weight on her.

Nathan kissed along her jawline, then lower and lower. He began suckling on her collarbone. He was sure he was going to leave a mark and he didn't mind at all. Later, Haley might. Right now, she was writhing underneath him, trying to feel more of him.

Haley could feel her panties becoming more and more wet. She hadn't experienced the release Nathan had whenever she touched him and he came spilling into her hand. She had considered it. She had thought of letting him touch her the way she touched him. She wanted the first time she felt him to be their first time together, though. She couldn't explain why exactly; it just felt right.

Haley wrapped one leg around Nathan's waist, pulling him closer to her. She could feel his erection when she did this. She wanted to feel more of it. She wanted to feel all of it. She ignored whatever nervousness she was feeling and reached for his belt. She stopped kissing him to look into his eyes. She was going to give him reassurance because she knew he wanted to ask for it. She tried telling him with just a look that she still wanted this. They'd gotten this far and she wasn't turning back.

When she had his belt unbuckled, she reached for the button of his jeans. With that undone, she lowered the zipper. She reached her small hand into his pants and into his boxers. She felt how hard he was and when she touched him, she felt him grow harder. As what usually happened when Haley touched him, Nathan's hips bucked and he thrust himself into her hand.

Nathan almost wished he didn't do that when she touched him, but he couldn't help it. He didn't want to seem like a horny teenager who freaked out whenever his girlfriend touched him. He wanted to be cool and calm. He wanted to take things slowly and do this right. He removed her hands from his pants. Not wanting her to think he was stopping, he got up to pull his jeans off completely. Haley sat up and leaned on her elbows. She looked down and could see the tent in his boxers. She was sure she'd never seen him that hard before. She knew she'd never been this wet before.

Haley bit her lip as he climbed back on top of her. He put one hand on the bed, holding himself up. He kissed her again. He started at her lips before moving lower. He again sucked on the same spot he'd been at earlier, making the mark more prominent. He continued his journey, kissing her down the valley between her breasts. Both hands went to her breasts, cupping them and squeezing them. Haley moaned. He moved lower and kissed down her stomach before finally reaching her hips. He looked up at her. She knew what he was about to do.

Haley took his hands and brought them to the button of her own jeans. Nathan knew she was okay with this. She would tell him if she wanted to stop and she hadn't said anything yet. He unbuttoned them and undid the zipper, never looking away from her. When he went to lower them from her body, she lifted her hips to help him. When they were off, he worked his way back up her body.

This time, he took one breast in his hand while the other he brought his lips to. He began by softly kissing it before swirling his tongue around the nipple. He felt her shudder and grasp onto his hair, holding him closer.

She now had both legs around his waist. The only barriers between them now were her panties and his boxers. She briefly wondered if he could now feel how wet she was. She could feel just how hard he was and she raised her hips to grind into him. When he felt her hot, wet center, even through their underwear, he thrust. He turned his attention from her breasts back to her face. Her eyes were screwed shut and she was biting her lip. Her hands were still gripping onto his hair.

He kissed her, but unlike their frenzied kisses as they were undressing each other, this one was soft and gentle. He got up off of her and moved back. Haley opened her eyes.

"Nathan, what-"

She didn't have to wait for an answer. Nathan knew that this was a big step for Haley. She'd never shared her body with anyone before. She'd already shared so much of it with him, but this was the first time she was sharing all of it. He knew there wasn't much left before they were finally together. He wanted to make this as easy as possible for her. With this in mind, he removed his boxers. He didn't want her to be naked if he wasn't naked. If she felt vulnerable or nervous, he wanted her to know that he was in the same state she was.

Haley couldn't help but look down once Nathan had removed his last article of clothing. She knew he was big. She'd felt it when they made out. She'd felt it even more when she touched him, bringing him to the brink. It was different seeing it now with her own eyes. He was beautiful. She felt the want that she'd been feeling since she asked him to make love to her increase. This was it. One last barrier and that would be it.

Nathan moved back on top of her. She felt his hardness brush the inside of her thigh as she wrapped one leg around his waist.

"Take them off," she whispered between kisses.

He knew what she meant. There was only one more thing to take off. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of the lace garment, which matched her bra. He looked at her before he lowered them. Seeing nothing but love and want in her eyes, he removed them from her body. She helped once again by lifting her hips.

Instead of climbing back on top of her, he sat back and looked at the woman in front of him. She was waiting for him. She wanted him. He could tell from her panties just how much she wanted him. She always said she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. He could tell now. She did.

Haley had never seen his eyes so dark as they raked down her form. She thought she might feel the need to cover herself with something the first time Nathan saw her naked, but she didn't. She couldn't possibly with the way he was looking at her.

"You're beautiful, Haley," he told her.

She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him. "Make love to me, Nathan Scott."

He'd been asked before and had hesitated, but not again. She wanted him to make love to her. She was sure about it. She was sure about him. They laid back down on the bed. He brought his hand down her body, trailing from her hip, to her thigh, and reaching her knee. He lifted her knee and she spread her legs further for him, settling him in the cradle of her thighs.

"I love you," he said. He wasn't whispering anymore. He had been; he hadn't been sure why. "I love you, Haley James."

"I love you, too. So much."

"Always and forever."

"Always and forever."

He kissed her and held her close to him. One arm was around her back, the other had taken her hand and intertwined their fingers together, laying them next to her head on the pillow. He kept kissing her as he entered her, slowly. He'd never felt anything better than being inside Haley James. She was tight and warm and just for him.

Haley already had her eyes closed while they were kissing, but she closed them even tighter once Nathan entered her. He moved slowly and she was grateful for that. Once he was fully inside of her, he stilled. He could stay there forever.

"Are you okay?" He hadn't let go of her hand and she was squeezing onto it tightly. It didn't hurt. It was just different. She took a moment, trying to get used to his considerable size inside of her.

Instead of answering him, she kissed him. He stayed still a few moments longer before he had to move. Slowly, he pulled almost completely out of her. He thrust back in, slowly and gently. He knew this was new to her. He couldn't describe how amazing she felt around his hard length, though.

The discomfort soon left Haley and was replaced by pleasure. She couldn't have imagined that he would feel this good. She wrapped the leg around him even tighter and bent the knee of her other leg, trying to let him get in deeper, if it was possible. She moved her hips up when he pulled out of her, trying to match his movements. Nathan took this as a sign that he could move a little faster. He began thrusting more forcefully.

Haley moaned when he hit a particularly sensitive spot. She squeezed her feminine muscles around him and heard him groan. This spurred him on and he continued thrusting. She moved the hand that was around his shoulders and grabbed the back of his head and kissed him.

Nathan continued pulling in and out of her. She began meeting him thrust for thrust and they fell into a natural rhythm. He could feel her clenching and she could feel him pulsating within her. He let go of her hand and began massaging her breast as he thrust into her. Haley felt a warm sensation at the base of her spine. The feeling continued to build until it finally exploded. She cried out in pleasure as her orgasm hit. As it was reverberating through her, Nathan came, spilling himself inside of her.

Nathan kissed her and rested his forehead on hers. He tried to catch his breath, but made no move to get off of her. He looked at her. Her eyes were closed and she was covered in a layer of sweat. Her lips were swollen from their kissing.

Nathan finally moved off of her and held her close. "How are you?"

Haley managed to open her eyes, having previously felt that she was unable to. She turned around so she could face him. He was now on his side and she on hers, his arm still around her. She kissed him.

"I'm perfect."

"You're really okay?"

"I'm more than okay, Nathan."

"You don't hurt? I didn't hurt you?"

"No." She had to laugh a little. They'd finally made love. It was great and he was so worried about her. "Nathan, did that seem like I was hurt?"

"Well, a little. After I first, you know."

Haley touched his cheek. "Uncomfortable at first. It was different. But it was perfect. That was perfect. You were perfect."

"Perfect, huh?" Nathan smirked, but pulled her even closer to him.

"Well, I don't want your ego to get out of control, but you definitely know what you're doing."

"You haven't even seen my A game yet."

"Lord, help me if that's true." She laid in silence, her hand over his heart. "Nathan?"

"Yeah?"

"I'd never done that before."

"I know." He kissed the top of her head.

"I mean… Ugh, I don't know how to ask this without sounding pathetic."

He knew what she was thinking and he hated that she had to ask. "You were perfect, soon to be Mrs. Scott. I'd never done that before either, you know."

Haley snorted. She couldn't help it.

"I mean it," he continued. "I'd never made love before. That was a first for me too. It was perfect. You were more than perfect. I always knew you'd have skills."

Haley laughed, feeling more relaxed now that she'd asked that embarrassing question.

"Mrs. Scott. Haley Scott. Haley James Scott. I like the sound of that," she said.

"I love you so much, Haley."

"I love you too, Nathan."

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**Note:** So, no line breaks. It's basically all one thing. I hope you enjoyed it. It's a big chapter. Definitely the longest. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

You all seem pretty evenly split between a Civil War story and 1940's mystery. I'm thinking I might flip a coin to decide, because either would take a lot of planning and I want to begin doing that before I start writing it. I will probably do both. It's just a matter of deciding which to do first.


	44. Chapter FortyThree

**Disclaimer: **One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Whoa! Over six hundred reviews? You guys are so fantastic. I hope that last chapter was worth the wait. I'm so excited about your response to it. Thank you so much, guys! And, three cheers for a new episode tonight!

* * *

Nathan and Haley had been wrapped in each other's arms, skin to skin, for what seemed like hours. It couldn't have been. Neither had said much. A few 'I love yous' had been exchanged. As good as they had gotten at communicating with each other, words weren't needed right now. Their night was perfect. Everything about it was everything either could have imagined and then some.

Haley hadn't expected Nathan to propose. They hadn't discussed marriage, although she could honestly say that they both knew it was what they wanted. They had settled into such a comfortable routine in their life together that Haley didn't think about when he might possibly propose. They were already fully committed to each other in every way. Occasionally, she would look at the ring on her finger. The diamonds on it were bright and sparkling. She rarely splurged on herself and never with jewelry, but she couldn't help thinking about how beautiful the ring was. Part of its beauty was that Nathan had chosen it for her. Nathan had thought it was perfect for her. Nathan had picked this particular ring because he could see her wearing it for the rest of her life. She would be wearing it for the rest of her life. She would be spending the rest of her life with Nathan. It was something she had known, but now they'd vocalized that commitment. It was real. The ring on her left hand was evidence of that.

"What are you thinking?" Nathan's voice broke her from her reverie.

"I'm thinking about how beautiful my ring is and how touched I am that you picked it out."

"I'm glad you like it."

"I love it. I love you."

"My grandma's gonna be excited when I tell her."

Haley had her head resting on his chest and looked up at him. "Did she know about this?"

"Sort of. When I took her shopping, she asked when I was gonna propose. The jewelry store was right there, so we went in just to look. I saw that ring and I could just picture it on your finger. I'm going to spend every day making you happy."

"I told you, you already do."

"Well, then I'm going to spend every day making sure I keep doing that."

She reached up to kiss him. "I want to make you happy too, you know."

"You already do."

"Then I'd say we're off to a good start."

Nathan pulled her closer. One arm was around her, drawing patterns on her bare hip. He lowered his head so it was resting on the top of hers. Her arm was on his stomach.

"I'd marry you tonight, you know," he told her. "But you should have a great wedding."

"Already thinking about the wedding, huh?"

He smiled at her and kissed the top of her head. Leaning over her, he reached for his phone on the nightstand. He began pressing buttons, his brow furrowed.

"What are you doing?"

"Hold on just a sec." He pushed more buttons and finally came to what he was looking for. "June thirteenth," he announced.

"What about it?"

"Do you think we could plan a wedding by then? I want to marry you as soon as we can plan a great wedding for you. By that day, Sam would be out of school. We can go on our honeymoon and you can still tour for eight weeks before Sam goes back to school. It would be a really busy summer, but-"

Haley silenced him with a kiss, her lips crashing to his. "June thirteenth. I can plan a great wedding for both of us by then. It's for both of us. Besides, it'll be the marriage that matters."

"I think Sam will be happy about this," Nathan said.

"I know he will. He's going to look so cute in his little tux. June thirteenth."

"June thirteenth." He looked at her again. Her hair was fanned out over the pillow, her eyes were closed, and she was still naked. He knew that she was going to be the one to decide when they made love, but he hadn't expected it to be that night. He had no regrets. It had been better than he had imagined it and he had imagined it a lot. Still, in the back of his mind, he had been worried. He hadn't wanted her to be scared or in any kind of pain. He knew that her only sexual experience had involved a great deal of pain and he didn't want her to experience anything like that again. He turned around so that she wasn't on top of him as much. He missed the position, but he wanted to face her.

"Open your eyes," he pleaded. When she did, he took in those beautiful brown eyes staring back at him. So full of trust and love. "You're really okay?"

Nathan had no reason not to believe her when she told him she was okay, but he needed to check. He needed to hear it again and he needed her to know exactly what he was asking.

"Nathan, I'm fine. I'm more than fine. Why do you keep asking?"

He took in a deep breath before answering. "Because I want to make sure you weren't thinking of the rape when we were together. I don't want you to be reminded of that. I never want you to feel that again or to hurt like that."

Had he been wondering about that the entire time? Haley opened her mouth, then closed it. Had he been distracted thinking about that? She couldn't believe his concern for her.

"Not once," she answered simply. "I wasn't thinking of anything except for you and me. I know why you would worry about that. You don't have to worry about that, Nathan."

"I just worry about you."

"I love you for that. You don't have to worry about that, though. Since you came into my life, I think about that less and less. It'll always be there, but the closer I am to you, the further it is from me."

"Okay." Nathan was grateful that he had asked. He wanted to ask and he wanted to be sure. He also wanted her to know it would be okay if she had thought of that. He'd be there for her no matter what. He leaned over to kiss her, brushing a strand of her hair away from her face.

Haley kissed him back, getting lost in the kiss until she remembered something. He'd been worried about her this entire time. "Nathan, earlier you said I hadn't even seen you're A game yet. Is that true?"

"I'd say I still have some moves you haven't seen," he joked.

"I'm serious. If you were worried about me, were you holding back while we were making love?"

Nathan was suddenly worried. "Did it feel like I was?"

Sensing his insecurities, Haley answered quickly. "No. Not at all. You were amazing. Making love to you was amazing. I loved it."

He breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't answer her original question.

"You're avoiding the question, Nathan."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"Okay," he relented. "Yes. I was holding back a little. I didn't want to hurt you."

Haley scooted closer to him and put her hand on his cheek. "I love you for that. But promise me something. Promise me that you'll never hold back, Nathan. You're not going to hurt me. Never hold back. Next time we make love, give me everything you've got."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Everything."

"Everything. No holding back."

"Okay. I promise." He kissed her again. It seemed that he couldn't stop kissing her. "So, there's gonna be a next time?"

"There is if I have anything to say about it." Since they were both on their sides, Haley hooked her leg around his waist and used it as leverage to get closer to him. She could feel him getting hard as their lower halves met. "Looks like next time is now."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She wrapped an arm around his neck and before she could do anything else, he'd flipped them over so that she was on her back again. She tried wrapping both legs around his waist, but he stopped her. If she wanted him to give her everything he had, he was going to.

"You trust me," he stated. "If you're uncomfortable, you tell me to stop what I'm doing. I've been wanting to do this for a long time."

"I trust you," she told him as he brought his lips to hers. It wasn't long before his tongue slipped into her mouth. She moaned and arched herself into him, wanting to feel more of his erection. As they were still kissing, Nathan's hand began traveling lower down her side. When he reached the underside of her breast, he caressed it gently. She moaned again. His hand continued going lower until it reached the curls covering her mound. He proceeded gently but with purpose.

Haley could feel the anticipation building inside of her and the wetness between her thighs growing as Nathan's hand reached lower and lower. He hadn't touched her there yet, but she had wanted him to. She breathed in as she felt him gently move his index finger over her folds. She moved her hips, trying to get closer to his hand, wanting him to continue.

Nathan slowly entered her with one finger. He put pressure on her walls, putting his finger in as deep as he could. Sensing that she was comfortable, he added another finger. He began massaging her, getting his fingers into a steady rhythm. Haley was moaning and writhing underneath him.

"More," she breathed.

She wanted more. Hearing Haley tell him what she wanted was like music to his ears and he felt himself growing even stiffer at her words. He wanted to put another part of his anatomy in her, but he would wait. He wanted her to feel this. He wanted to do this for her. He wanted her to feel as good as he did whenever she touched him. He increased his pace.

Haley was gripping tighter onto Nathan has his fingers worked inside of her. She couldn't stop herself from moving her hips with his fingers, trying to feel more of him.

"More," she said again.

Nathan pulled out his fingers, both slick with her juices. Haley opened her eyes and was about to ask him what was going on. She didn't get a chance to when she saw him moving lower and lower down her body until he was off the bed completely, on his knees. He looked at her, silently telling her what he had planned. She nodded her head, letting him know it was okay. Nathan grabbed her hips and moved her lower down the bed so he could reach. When he had her where he wanted her, he placed one of her legs over his shoulder, causing her to spread her legs further. One hand reached up and grabbed for her breast, teasing the nipple. She moaned and arched into his hand.

Nathan breathed, able to smell how much she wanted him. Her eyes were closed when he entered her again, but she knew that this time it was his tongue that was inside of her. She couldn't help the scream that came from her lips as he pressed his tongue to her clit, soaking up the juices coming from her. With one hand, she fisted the sheets, with the other she grabbed his hair, trying to get herself closer to him. She wrapped her leg tighter around his shoulders. Anything to get him closer and get his tongue deeper inside of her.

Haley began thrusting, trying to get more of the feelings he was giving her. Her hips began moving faster and faster as his tongue began moving faster. He swept over her sensitive nub with his tongue once more and without warning, she came fast and hard. She shouted his name as she came, her back arching off of the bed again. As she was coming down, Nathan got up. He'd been rubbing his hard on against the bed, trying to get some relief. He was nearly aching with want for her.

When Haley opened her eyes, coming back down to earth and trying to control her breathing, she noticed that Nathan had brought them both back up on their bed. His hair was in complete disarray from where she'd been grabbing it.

Nathan didn't need to ask her if she was okay or if she'd been hurt. She would have told him. He knew that. He knew she had enjoyed that.

Haley did enjoy that. That was unlike anything she'd experienced before. She had wondered what it would be like for him to go down on her. She knew he knew how to use his tongue, but she'd never known quite like that. When she was able to form a single thought, she pulled him down on top of her and kissed him, forcing his mouth open with her tongue. The kiss was rough and it was immediate. It was her way of telling him just how much she liked that. She loved it. But she needed more. She needed him.

She could feel how much he needed her, too. She could feel him against her leg. She touched him, scratching lightly down his chest. He growled when she went over his nipple. Her hand, like his had earlier, went lower. She traced down the fine trail of her beneath his belly button. She loved that spot. Her hand continued until she reached him, taking him in her hand. She was feeling more confident than she had their first time together. She was feeling confident enough to bring her finger to the tip, feeling the moisture seeping out.

"I want you so much, Hales," his breathing was ragged.

"More," she said for a third time. She wrapped both legs around his waist and used her hand to guide him to her entrance. He resisted, though, pulling away a bit.

He could tell she was feeling more confident and wanted more of that for her. He wanted her to know that she was beautiful and sexy and great in bed. He wanted her to know that she held that power. He also didn't want her to be shy in any way.

"What do you want?" He wanted to hear from her what she wanted from him.

"You," she answered.

"What do you want?" He wanted to hear something more specific.

She caught on to what he wanted. They were in sync with each other. She understood what he wanted from her. "I want you to make love to me. I want you inside me."

Nathan reached for her hand that was wrapped around him and took it in his own. He brought it to his lips and kissed it as he thrust into her, more forcefully than he had last time. "I want to hear you," he told her. "Let everything go."

"Let everything go," she repeated. She wasn't just saying it for herself. She was saying it for him too. He pulled out of her slowly, but when he thrust back into her it was harder. Haley let out a loud moan. "So good." She was barely able to form words as he continued thrusting in and out of her. His pace was faster than the first time they'd made love. She could feel the passion he was letting go of in every thrust. She felt it too. She wasn't afraid or nervous. After he'd hit a sensitive spot, she clenched her muscles around him. When he pulled almost completely out, she slammed her hips into his, causing them both to scream out.

Nathan grabbed the headboard with one hand for leverage as he changed his angle. He could tell Haley liked that. He opened his eyes to see her biting down on her lip so hard he thought she might break skin. Deciding to keep her from doing that, he kissed her.

"Harder," she said between kisses. He did as she asked and began pounding into her with more force. It wasn't much longer before she could feel her release building.

"Let go," he told her. "Look at me. I want to watch you come."

She struggled, but managed to open her eyes. It was difficult with the pleasure he was giving her. She tried to concentrate. With the hand that wasn't gripping the headboard, he grabbed onto her breast, flicking the nipple with his fingers. She closed her eyes again.

"Look at me." He pulled out almost completely and stayed there for a few seconds. Then, he again slammed his hips into her. That was what it took to send her into oblivion.

"Nathan!" She shouted his name as she came. She felt her body going limp, but she grasped onto him with all of her strength.

With one more thrust, Nathan came, going limp inside of her. After catching his breath, he tried to get off from on top of her, but she stopped him.

"Stay for a minute. I like the feel of it."

He nodded and stayed there, trying to balance on his elbow so he wouldn't crush her. She began tracing the contours of his face with one finger. He closed his eyes at the feel of her fingertips.

"So, that's what it's like when you don't hold back," she said.

He shrugged, but didn't move, still inside of her.

"Never hold back again, Nathan. Never."

"That was too good for me to ever hold back again."

"I can't believe I made us wait almost a year for that," Haley marveled.

"You just needed to be ready. And it was more than worth the wait." He finally moved off of her, but missed the feeling of her around him. He pulled her next to him and wrapped them both in their blankets. "It is almost our anniversary, isn't it?"

"Our first date. After being locked in the studio that night."

"That was a good night, too," he said.

"Not as good as tonight, though. This has been one of the best nights of my life. Thank you for that."

"I love you. I'm glad this night was great for you. It's one of the best nights of my life too."

"I love you too," Haley said as she closed her eyes. She could feel herself drifting off to sleep.

* * *

When Haley woke up the next morning, she found the spot next to her empty. She sat up and noticed that she had Nathan's green t-shirt he'd be wearing the night before on. She briefly remembered putting it on in the middle of the night. It was the only thing she was wearing. She yawned and ran her hand through her tangled hair. She was about to get out of bed to look for Nathan when he walked in, tray in hand.

On the tray were two cups of coffee, a flower, and what looked like a plate of fruit and a bowl of cereal.

"Morning," he greeted her. His hair looked just as disheveled as it had the night before. He was in his boxers and smiling at her. Nathan probably would have been the first to admit that the smile on his face had love struck written all over it. The most beautiful woman he'd ever met was sitting in their bed, wearing only his t-shirt, and looked more than happy to see him. This was the same woman who'd agreed to marry him less than twelve hours earlier.

"Did you sleep okay?"

Haley stretched. She felt a little sore, but she was happy. "I slept great. I only woke up because someone wasn't next to me."

"Sorry about that." Nathan climbed back into bed and set the tray down. "I was hungry, so I figured you must be too. I got us breakfast."

"Thanks." Haley kissed him before taking a cup of coffee and sipping from it.

They ate silently, but happily for a few minutes, both leaning against the back of the headboard. The sunlight was streaming in through the windows. With the rain the night before, everything seemed bright and new.

"Mrs. Fields texted us," Nathan told her. "Sam and Andre got to school okay."

"What time is it?" Haley realized they must have slept in if Sam was already at school. She looked at the clock and saw that it was just after eight.

"I also got to thinking about what we should do today."

Haley looked at him, puzzled.

"I don't know about you, but I want to shout this from the roof. I'm happy, Hales."

Haley blushed and smiled. "I'm happy too."

"I was also thinking about how we can't go pick up groceries without someone taking pictures of us. That means that they're gonna take pictures, they're gonna see your ring, and then people are going to find out like that. So, I think we should call people as soon as possible. Plus, I kinda told grandma she'd be one of the first to know."

Haley nodded, knowing he was right. "We should tell Sam right away when we bring him home from school." She bit her lip. "I told Peyton I would be taking today off. We've been working so hard lately, I thought both of us could use a break. She isn't going in either. I want to tell her and Brooke together."

"Okay, maybe have Peyton meet you at Brooke's office after we tell Sam?"

Haley thought about that, then nodded. "Good idea. That'll work. I know what you mean," she told him.

"About what?"

"Wanting to shout it out loud. I don't really want to shout, technically. But I want to let people know. The people we love. I feel like they've all been rooting for us."

"They've been great, haven't they?"

"Do you want to call your mom or grandma first, or my mom and dad?"

Nathan chewed his piece of melon before answering. "Your folks."

"Now?"

"Good a time as any."

Haley reached for her phone. She dialed the number before putting it on speaker phone.

"Haley Bob," Lydia answered. "What costume did Brooke put you in last night?"

Haley laughed. Her mother knew her so well. She knew Brooke so well.

"Catwoman," Nathan answered.

"Nathan Scott, is that you? Am I on speaker phone?"

"Yeah, you are, mom. Is dad there? We wanted to talk to both of you."

"Jimmy," Lydia yelled. "One of the offspring is on the phone! This one wants money!"

Haley and Nathan both laughed. Nathan had found himself becoming accustomed to Haley's parents' sense of humor.

Jimmy James must have picked up the extension, because he greeted them with, "How much is this gonna cost me?"

"Not a cent," Haley answered.

"Oh, Lydia," Jimmy chided, "it's the responsible one. She doesn't need money."

"Morning, Mr. James," Nathan told the man.

"Mr. James? Wow. Formal. What brings on this conversation?"

Nathan and Haley looked at each other. Haley was about to open her mouth to speak when Nathan did.

"Mr. and Mrs. James," he was looking at Haley the entire time he was talking, "I love your daughter very much. Last night, I asked her to marry me and she said yes. I'd like your blessing to marry her. I promise, I'll do everything I can to make her happy."

Haley smiled at him and reached for his hand.

"We'll call you right back," Lydia told them before the line went dead.

"Where did they go? Are they angry?" Nathan looked down at the phone, as if it had answers.

"She went to call my brothers and sisters," Haley explained.

"All of them?"

"As many as she can get. She'll call back in a few minutes."

Sure enough, the phone rang again, the words 'Mom and Dad' appearing on Haley's screen to identify the caller. "I don't know what she did before she learned to conference call," Haley mused before answering.

"Now, we're all here," Lydia announced.

"Everyone?" Haley was always impressed by her mother's ability to get everyone on the phone at one time.

Haley was met by a chorus of yeses and greetings from her brothers and sisters. Before she could say anything, her father spoke.

"Nathan. What you asked us. You have it, son."

"Thank you, sir."

"Now, cut with the formalities," Jimmy ordered.

"Hey, Nathan," Ned said.

"Ned, how's it goin?"

"You know," a voice Haley recognized as Quinn's was speaking, "some of us have to work. What's going on?"

Nathan nodded and let Haley give the news.

"Quinn, Taylor, Eli, you guys haven't met him yet, but this is Nathan. You'll meet face to face soon, I hope. Last night, he asked me to marry him. I said yes."

There was silence on the other end, then an explosion of voices. Nathan and Haley vaguely heard congratulations being offered from her siblings, along with a few of them welcoming Nathan to the family.

Vivian had the first clear question for the couple. "How did Sam take the news?"

"We haven't told him yet," Nathan answered.

"He spent the night at his friend Andre's house last night, then Andre's mom took him to school. We're going to tell him when we pick him up."

"He's gonna be excited," Jimmy offered. "He loves Nathan, could see that plain as day in Chicago."

"He'll definitely be happy about it," Vivian agreed.

"You probably haven't set a date yet, have you?" This time the voice began to Eli.

"June thirteenth," Haley and Nathan answered together.

"We'll be there," Quinn said. "All of us."

The conversation continued for a little while more before they hung up. Haley's family were all happy for her. They were met with similar reactions when they called Deb, then Royal and Mae. Everyone was ecstatic.

* * *

Nathan and Haley spent the day together, not really leaving their bed until they had to go pick up Sam. As Nathan drove them to the school, Haley tapped her finger on the armrest of the car.

"Are you nervous?"

"Not really. Just excited to get him home and tell him."

"You know, I was thinking," Nathan said as he stopped at a traffic signal, "when we tell him, it's kind of like we're celebrating."

"We are celebrating."

"Well, what if we picked up some ice cream first."

"Nathan, are you trying to soften him up a little to make this easier?"

"No. Maybe. Not really. It's just, it's a lot to talk to him about. We're gonna ask him if he almost called me dad and then we're telling him we're getting married. It's a lot for a kid. Ice cream might be nice. Besides, I like ice cream."

"Okay," Haley could understand his nervousness. "We'll get ice cream."

They'd driven a little more and were about ten minutes away from Sam's school when Haley thought of something. She'd been thinking about the conversation they were going to have to have with Sam, but she also thought of something she'd said to him last night. She jokingly asked him to look after Sam if she went to prison.

"You know, Brooke and Peyton are his godmothers. We've always said that if anything ever happened to me, they would raise him."

"That makes sense," Nathan answered. "They've been with you through everything."

"The thing is, now if anything ever happened to me-"

"Hales, don't talk like that."

"Nathan, I'm serious. If anything happened, you'd be a big part of him being raised. I know that. Brooke and Peyton know that. But if something happens, I want you to have your rights. I don't want anything to be jeopardized and I want to know Sam would be taken care of."

"He would, Hales. But I really don't like talking about this."

"Nathan, what I'm getting at is if Sam agrees to it, what would you think of adopting him? Of making him legally your son?"

Nathan pulled the car over and stopped it. He turned slightly in his seat and studied her face. "You want that? You want me to adopt him?"

Haley nodded. "He's our son. I might have trouble getting used to sharing him with another parent, but he's our son. You should have your rights to him."

Nathan leaned in and kissed her. "I want that. If Sam wants that, yes."

"I'm sure he'll want that."

* * *

Once they arrived at home, the three of them sat on the floor in the living room, each of them with a cup of ice cream in hand. Sam wasn't sure why he was getting this treat, but he was happy about it. He sat eating his chocolate ice cream with sprinkles, bits of chocolate around his lips.

"Sam, sweetie, mommy and Nathan need to talk to you about something."

"Okay."

Haley and Nathan exchanged a look. They hadn't decided which subject to bring up first, the engagement or the dad thing. They didn't have to decide, because Sam noticed something on his mother's hand. He pointed at it.

"What's that?"

Haley held up her left hand. Sam had noticed the ring. She knew what they would be discussing first.

"Well, that one of the things we wanted to talk to you about. You know, mommy loves Nathan very much, right?"

Sam nodded.

"Last night, Nathan gave me this ring."

"Sam, your mom and me, we want to get married." Nathan waited to see if Sam said anything. "Sam, would that be all right with you?" Nathan almost wished he hadn't asked that. He didn't know what he'd do if Sam said no.

"You two are gonna get married? Like grandma and grandpa are?"

"Yeah, sweetie. It'll be just like it is now. Nathan lives here already, we spend time together and with you. We both love you so much, that's not going to change at all. We'd be married though."

Sam took another bite of his ice cream. "Does this mean that Nathan would be my daddy?"

The second topic for discussion was now taken care of.

Haley set her ice cream on the floor. "Do you want him to be? We noticed last night when we dropped you off that you almost called Nathan dad."

Although it hurt him to suggest it, Nathan told Sam, "If you don't want me to be your dad, that's fine. I can just keep being your friend."

"You do stuff with me like Andre's dad. Chuck doesn't have a dad."

"Sam, did you almost call Nathan dad last night?"

Sam looked down at the carpet, but nodded his head.

"That's okay, buddy. If you feel like Nathan is your dad, that's fine. Do you feel that way?"

Still looking down, Sam nodded again.

"Sam, do you want me to be your dad?"

Again, he kept his head down but nodded.

"Sam, look at me," Nathan said. "I would be honored to be your dad." Nathan felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "I love you, Sam."

Sam stood up and walked to Nathan. He put his arms around his neck and hugged him.

Nathan reciprocated. "I love you, buddy."

"I love you too, Nathan. Am I gonna call you dad now?"

"Only if you want to," Nathan said. "If you're comfortable, you can."

"Sweetie, we're going to make this official, okay? When you were born, there's a certificate and it says I'm your mommy. So, we're going to get one that say Nathan is your daddy."

"Sam, bud, you're okay with me and your mom getting married?"

"Yeah, sure." Things were simple for kids. Sam returned to his ice cream, which had melted some. Things were settled now and his life wouldn't be changing that much.

* * *

Haley had decided that she wanted to tell Brooke and Peyton right away, but it needed to be done in person. Luckily for her, when she had texted Peyton, she had been with Brooke in her office. Apparently, Peyton had decided to get some work done even though Haley wasn't there.

When Haley walked onto the Clothes Over Bros. floor and approached Brooke's office, she saw both Brooke and Peyton in there. Both happened to be sketching. Haley opened the door without knocking and took a seat in the chair next to Peyton, on the opposite side of Brooke's desk.

"Hey, Foxy. What brings you down here on your day off?"

Brooke looked up from the sketch she was working on. She cocked her head to the side. "What's different about you?" She studied her friend. "OH MY GOD! YOU HAD SEX!"

Haley looked over her shoulder, even though she'd closed the door to Brooke's office. The wall was made of windows and she hoped no one had heard. Luckily, everyone seemed to be doing their jobs and not paying attention to them. When she turned back to her friends, Brooke and Peyton were both staring at her. Peyton was looking curiously. Brooke was obviously excited. Haley was sure she'd turned several shades of red.

"You did, you said sex! You're blushing! How was it? I'll bet it was good. I want details, you tell us everything, Haley James!"

Haley didn't answer, but couldn't help the smile that was growing wider on her face.

Before Brooke could begin with another outburst, Peyton decided to take over. "What brought this on?"

Haley continued to blush and smiled even wider, if it was possible. "He proposed."

None of Brooke's employees had looked when she shouted that Haley had had sex. But the piercing shriek that came from her at Haley's announcement certainly got their attention. Haley and Peyton both turned and saw every head turned their way. Peyton stood up and closed the blinds, giving them some privacy.

"You're getting married!" Brooke was out of her chair and going to the other side of her desk. "You did say yes, right?"

Haley held out her left hand in response. Brooke grabbed it, putting it up to almost her nose, examining it.

"Nice work, Nathan," Peyton marveled! "You're getting married, Hales."

"I'm getting married."

* * *

Nathan and Sam walked into Lucas's house. When Haley went to tell Brooke and Peyton, Nathan decided it would be a good chance to tell his brother. He and Sam quietly walked through Lucas's house. They found Lucas in his den. Most of the lights were off and a glow from the laptop screen shone on Lucas's face.

"So, I proposed to Haley, we're getting married, and I'm going to be Sam's dad," Nathan announced before Lucas even realized his brother was there.

Lucas didn't look up from his computer screen and kept typing. "Congratulations." Then, as if a light bulb went off, Lucas realized what exactly his little brother had said. He raised his head and saw the smile on Nathan's face and a similar one on Sam's.

"You're serious?" Lucas shut his laptop and stood up.

"Yeah, man. I'm getting married. In June. And I've got a son." Nathan squeezed Sam's shoulder.

"Good for you, Nate. Congratulations. You couldn't ask for a better woman, or son."

"Guess that makes you Uncle Lucas," Nathan added. "I'm gonna need a best man."

"I'd be honored."

Lucas remembered a conversation he'd had with Deb, almost a year ago now. They both knew then that this was going to happen. Deb had said that Haley was going to be her daughter-in-law and she would be. Lucas knew, just as well as anyone else who knew Nathan and Haley, that was as meant to be as anything else in the world. This was the path that Nathan had been headed toward ever since he made a conscience decision to not be Dan Scott. Lucas was glad that he was there to witness it all. Lucas couldn't have plotted this better if he were writing it as a novel.

* * *

**Note:** Instead of spreading out the reactions of everyone, I just put it in one chapter. I hope you liked it. Thanks for reading and reviewing.

As for my previous question about which story to write next, a decision has been reached. I think I might keep it to myself, though. Build the suspense. ;)


	45. Chapter FortyFour

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Just a nice little chapter. No wedding planning yet. Thank you all for your responses to the last two chapters. I'd been waiting for months to write both of those. Literally, months. Thank you so much and enjoy!

* * *

Haley and Nathan had been busy before. They led busy lives with careers, friends, and family. It had been less than a month since they had begun to plan their wedding, but they were getting busier and busier. The couple was looking forward to some downtime. Haley should have known that Brooke would go overboard with helping with wedding plans. The day after Haley told them about the engagement, Brooke had walked into work with a portfolio of plans. In one night, she had put together an entire portfolio. Haley could only imagine Brooke working as Julian slept by her side. Haley knew she had to slow Brooke down. Once the holidays were over and Haley completed recording the new album, then she would dive into wedding plans.

Nathan and Haley both agreed that they would make some small arrangements. They would start discussing what they wanted so when they started really planning they would have an idea. Brooke, however, had decided that she would at least get started on dressing the wedding party. She had taken exact measurements of everyone. Haley, Nathan, Sam, Peyton, and Lucas were all forced to stand still while Brooke surrounded them with her measuring tape. When she had finished, all were ordered to stay the exact same size they were at that moment. Haley could have sworn she saw Brooke twitch a little when she pointed out how quickly five year-olds grew and that it was possible Sam might be a little taller by the time June came around.

Haley had to admit it, her mother was correct. It had been several months, but Lydia James had predicted that her youngest daughter would possibly be spending holidays with other people. Sure enough, Nathan and Haley had decided to spend Thanksgiving in Tree Hill. Haley was curious to see the place where Nathan had grown up. Lucas had written of it so fondly in his first novel that she could just picture it in her head.

Nathan would have been perfectly happy to spend Thanksgiving wherever the James family would be gathered that year, but Haley had told him that she wanted to see Tree Hill. He couldn't really deny her anything. Besides, a part of him was happy that she wanted to see where he came from. Lucas and Peyton would be joining them, even though Peyton felt a little guilty about not spending Thanksgiving with the Jamses two years in a row now. Brooke and Julian would be spending a quiet holiday with his mother at a resort in Colorado.

To balance things out, they had decided to have everyone come to Los Angeles for Christmas. Nathan hadn't gotten around to selling his house yet. It was just sitting there collecting dust. All of his things had been moved into Haley's house. It was now completely their house. Whatever was left in Nathan's old house he just didn't need. It would be coming in handy, though, with the large number of relatives who would be making the trip to Los Angeles at Christmas. Now, they wouldn't have to stay in hotels. They definitely wouldn't fit in Nathan and Haley's house. It would be a great opportunity for everyone to meet and for the two families to spend some time together.

Nathan, Haley, and Sam had arrived at LAX early, knowing that the place would be bustling with holiday travelers. It was quite a difference to go to a large, busy international airport to the smaller one just outside of Tree Hill. While it was crowded, it wasn't nearly as hectic as Los Angeles. Haley was immediately struck by the difference. All through the terminal were displays proudly proclaiming North Carolina's history as being first in flight.

Nathan had insisted that they rent a car. He wanted them to be able to come and go as they pleased and not have to depend on anyone for a ride. Tree Hill was small and they could have walked anywhere, but Nathan had had enough of people driving him places this past year. He wanted the option to do it himself.

It wasn't a long drive from the airport and Haley enjoyed it. It was North Carolina, which was home to Haley as well, but this was definitely smaller than Charlotte. It was more quaint and intimate. One thing that Haley always appreciated about coming to North Carolina in the fall was seeing the foliage change color. That didn't happen in California. It was beautiful there, but this was a different kind of beautiful. This was home.

They were soon driving alongside the Cape Fear River and Nathan announced that they would be there soon. He took a few winding turns and brought them to a road along the beach. Haley appreciated the beaches in North Carolina more now that she lived in California. The beaches in North Carolina had tall grass and she was sure the sand was a little bit whiter. She watched a few of the houses as they passed by. They were all far apart from each other, ensuring their owners a great deal of privacy.

Nathan pulled up to the driveway of one of the houses. It was beautiful. It was painted white and was raised several feet from the ground. A staircase led to the front door with an expansive porch that seemed to wrap around the entire two story house. A porch swing was to the left of the door. Haley took in the house as she stepped out of the car. It was definitely impressive.

"She moved in after she and my dad got divorced," Nathan explained as he too stepped out of the car. He went to the back to get their bags while Haley helped Sam out. They were walking up the stairs to the porch when Deb emerged, smiling and happy to see them. Nathan didn't even have a chance to set their bags down or walk into the house before she hugged him.

"It's good to see you up on your own two feet," she told him.

"Thanks, mom."

Deb turned to Haley and shook her head. "You know, I told Lucas when I came to visit in February that you were going to be my daughter-in-law. I'm so happy about this." She hugged Haley as well, then turned to Sam.

"I hear that you've become quite the basketball star. I have something for you. Why don't you come with me."

Sam looked to Haley and Nathan for permission. When they nodded, he followed Deb into the house. When they got inside, Deb took Sam's backpack from him and set it by the sofa.

"Nathan," Deb said, "I put Sam in the room next to yours. Lily sleeps in it sometimes when Karen and Keith have plans. I hope it isn't too girly for him."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Haley told Deb.

The three of them went upstairs, Deb and Sam leading the way, with Haley and then Nathan behind them.

"Second door on the right," Nathan told Haley. They walked into a room that had wood flooring like the rest of the house. A king size bed was against the wall and French doors led to a balcony. A dresser and mirror were off to the side and a chair was in the corner. The walls were a soothing shade of blue that went well with the navy blue bedding. On the wall above the dresser was a framed poster. Curious, Haley went to look at it. It was a small poster advertising the North Carolina High School Basketball State Championship game. The Tree Hills Ravens versus Pontiac. Haley felt a swell of pride of what Nathan had accomplished at such an early age.

Nathan was setting their suitcases on the bench at the end of the bed when Sam came running into the room. He carried with him a black jersey with orange trim. He held it out for Haley and Nathan to see. The name Tigers was on it with the number twenty-three.

"Look, mommy! Mrs. Deb said it was Nathan's!" Sam hadn't called Nathan daddy yet. They had both told the boy that he didn't have to. If he did want to, he could wait until he was comfortable. Nathan would have loved to have heard the word from Sam, but what mattered was that Sam saw Nathan as his father and Nathan saw Sam as his son. That was what was most important.

"Where did you find that?" Nathan kneeled to take a look at the jersey. "That was the first jersey I ever wore."

"I was cleaning out some stuff and found it in the back of a closet. I got it cleaned and thought that you might like your son to have it," Deb explained.

"Yeah. Yeah, this is great."

"Thank you," Haley said. "Sam, did you say thank you?"

"He definitely did," Deb replied. "He has excellent manners. Why don't the three of you get settled. I'm sure you're hungry, so when you come down, I'll work on getting us some dinner."

"Since when do you cook?" Nathan was used to his mom heating things in the microwave or burning whatever she tried to cook.

"Oh, I don't. Karen sent some food over from the café."

* * *

"You have a beautiful home," Haley told Deb as she helped her to set the table. Sam was already sitting in a chair, his new jersey over his shirt. It was two days before Thanksgiving, so they would just be spending the day at Deb's house quietly.

"Oh, thank you. It's home now. I feel the most at home here than I have anywhere else I've lived."

"Isn't that a great feeling?" Haley had fallen into an easy conversation with Deb.

"It is. Is that how you feel about L.A.?"

"No. Not really. California was never really supposed to be permanent. After college, I always planned on coming home to Charlotte and trying to teach there. Then, I started singing and that's where we ended up starting our business. Sam had roots there. He has a home."

"So, it's in Charlotte where you feel most at home."

Haley turned her head. Nathan was in the kitchen trying to find something in a drawer. She turned her attention back to Deb. "I found it with him. I know it's cheesy, but it's true. I've never felt more at home than I do with him and Sam."

"It's funny how people can make you feel something so strong, isn't it?"

Haley nodded. "What about you? Nathan hasn't really mentioned you seeing anyone since the divorce." Haley paused. "I'm sorry. It's none of my business."

"No, no. It's fine. Actually, Nathan," Deb got her son's attention. "I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" Nathan was now holding an empty glass and standing in front of the refrigerator.

Deb approached, but stayed on the opposite side of the counter. Haley continued setting the table.

"Well," Deb began, "I've been seeing someone. He'll be joining us for dinner on Thursday."

"Oh." Nathan wasn't sure how to react. He knew his mom had dated since the divorce and he couldn't blame her for it. He didn't want her to be alone.

"The thing is," Deb continued, "you know him."

"I do?" Nathan tried to think of who Deb could be dating in town. The only single man he could think of was Whitey and he was sure that his mother wasn't dating his old coach.

"Antwon."

As soon as Deb said the name, Nathan dropped the glass he'd been holding. It landed on the wood floor, shattering. Haley rushed to where Nathan was. Her instinct was to see if he'd been hurt, even though she knew he couldn't have been. Deb also went to the other side of the counter where Nathan was. She went to the pantry and retrieved a broom and dustpan. Nathan just stood there in shock. Sam watched curiously.

"Sam, stay away from the glass," Haley told her son.

"Antwon." Nathan said the name like it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard. "Skills."

"Well, I prefer Antwon," Deb told him.

"You're dating Skills."

Haley thought the name sounded familiar, but couldn't place it.

"He's my age," Nathan stated. "He and Lucas are good friends. He's my friend."

Now Haley knew where she'd heard the name. Skills was one of the friends he'd hung out with during high school.

"Nathan, sweetie, he's a very nice man. We enjoy each other's company."

Nathan stared at his mother like she had two heads. Haley had taken over cleaning up the glass so that Deb could talk to Nathan. Deb placed her hand on Nathan's arm and he flinched.

"Nathan."

"No. No. I don't want to talk about this. We'll just eat and hang out and not talk about this. No." Nathan crossed his arms over his chest and glared at his mother, challenging her to protest.

Haley knew that Nathan was going to have to discuss this with his mother at some point before the weekend was over. She also knew that Nathan needed time to digest things sometimes. She just hoped that this wouldn't put a strain on the entire holiday.

Nathan was quiet for the rest of the night. He would speak to his mother in short, clipped answered. He was warmer toward Haley. He was his most normal with Sam. In fact, he was spending more and more time with Sam. Haley guessed it was an effort to avoid the issue. At one point, while helping clean up their dinner, Haley gave Deb a sympathetic look. She didn't know Skills. She actually didn't know Deb very well. She knew that Skills was Lucas's fried, so that he had mean that he was a good guy.

* * *

Haley didn't have time to talk to Nathan about it the next morning. Almost as soon as they had woken up, Nathan had rushed them out of the house. He had told Haley he wanted to show her and Sam around town. He kept close to Sam, knowing that Haley wouldn't ask him about his mom with Sam around. Nathan was excellent at avoiding issues that he didn't want to talk about.

The fall weather was crisp with a light wind blowing, but the family decided to walk. Nathan and Haley were both accustomed to this weather, having grown up in North Carolina. Sam was bundled in a jacket and scarf. Haley kept gloves for him with her in case he needed them. He had so much energy that he wasn't cold.

They were just beginning their walk. They'd gone a few blocks from Deb's house and were now getting further into town. Haley and Nathan were each holding one of Sam's hands; he was in between the two of them.

"You know," Haley said, "I know you're not ready to talk about it, but you're going to have to talk to someone by the end of today. We can't have dinner tomorrow like this."

"I know," Nathan relented. "Just give me this morning to relax?"

"You've got it. I'm here. For whatever you need."

"I know. Thanks. I love you."

"I love you too."

Nathan was trying to show Haley and Sam as much as he could as they walked through Tree Hill. They had breakfast at Karen's Café. Haley had been pleased to see Karen. The two hadn't seen each other since Haley had been in high school. It had been the last time Lucas had been in Charlotte during summer break. With both Haley and Lucas heading off to college, those summers ended. Karen had paid attention to Haley's career. When Lucas told her that Haley was a singer, Karen had been surprised, but immensely proud of her. She had been floored when Lucas also told her that Haley had a son. This was the first time Karen had met the boy.

Sam was shy to begin with. He usually was around new adults. The only adult Haley could think of who he hadn't been shy or nervous around was Nathan. He'd taken to Nathan so well that it had caught Haley off guard. Still, he had warmed up to Karen and had eaten the waffles she made for him with glee.

Haley had heard Lucas talk about his mother's café. He always spoke of it fondly. Haley was sure that the café he detailed in his first novel must have been based on his mother's. She was so sure that she never even asked him to confirm it. Now visiting it, she could see why he loved it so much. None of the furniture matched, but in a way it did. It looked like a comfortable, southern kitchen. Almost everyone in there seemed to be a regular. Karen knew them all by name. Haley could easily understand why they kept coming back. Their breakfast was delicious.

Nathan took Haley throughout more spots in Tree Hill. None of them really stood out for any specific reason other than that they meant something to Nathan. There were no tourist spots, nothing flashy. It was all based around memories, around moments. That made it that much more special. They visited the docks, where benches and picnic tables sat situated at the water. A breeze came off of the water, making it a little chilly, but it all seemed to fit. The place was wonderful.

Their day was almost over. Nathan had walked them throughout almost the entire town, but he had specifically saved the two most important places for last. For reasons he couldn't explain, he was a little nervous about showing them to Haley. They represented such a large part of the past for him. They represented what he had been.

The first spot was right along the river. It was a ramshackle basketball court. The blacktop was worn, the backboard of the net was rusted, and the net itself was chain link.

"This is more Luke's place than mine, but I love it. I started coming here more and more after Dan went away." Nathan left Haley and Sam by a picnic table and walked toward a tree off to the side. He knelt behind the bush next to the tree and felt around. Sure enough, there it was. He picked it up. It was the first time he'd held one since May. He had held Sam's, but it wasn't regulation size. He hadn't held any of the balls they used in practice. He let the kids take over with it. It was their team, after all. This one was old. The texture on it was worn and it was more brown than orange anymore. Lucas and the rest of his friends had left it there for over ten years. Nathan wasn't surprised that it was still there.

He felt it in his hands and held it, almost like it was fragile. Despite not playing for months, it felt like he'd been holding the ball the entire time. It wasn't foreign at all. It was what was right. He carried it to the court and when he got to the blacktop, he dribbled it once. He did it again, realizing he'd missed the sound. The ball came back into his hand after each dribble, as if it belonged there.

Haley watched with her hands on Sam's shoulders. She watched the look on Nathan's face as he played with the ball. She had wondered often how much he was missing the game. It had been such a large part of his life and he'd almost ignored it. Sure, he was coaching, but that didn't have anything to do with his game. She watched and kept Sam with her as Nathan idly walked the court with the ball, dribbling every few steps. He finally reached the free throw line. He stopped dribbling the ball and held it, staring at it. He moved one foot forward and squared his shoulders. He bent his knees and let the ball sail from his hands. It landed just where it was meant to. It went right through the net, making the chains clink.

A smile of satisfaction crossed Nathan's features as he saw that he could still shoot a free throw without a problem. He looked to Haley and saw her smiling. She looked so proud of him. She nudged Sam forward, sending him after the ball. Sam went and got it and ran back to Nathan.

"What do you say, bud? You want to try?"

Sam looked at the net and concentrated. He put his feet apart and moved his shoulders. He did exactly as Nathan had told him and his teammates during practice. When he was sure he had the position correct, he threw the ball. It landed a few feet short of the net and Nathan went to catch it.

"That was good. Your stance was perfect. But I think our problem is that you're a little too short for the free throw line. You can't quite reach. In a couple of years you'll be tall enough for it. For now, why don't you come stand here and try it." Nathan was standing at the three point line. He stepped aside so Sam could try.

Again, Sam took the same stance. He concentrated on the net and shot the ball. This time, the ball went in. Sam's eyes were wide, shocked at his accomplishment. He looked at the net then at Nathan.

"Did you see it, daddy? I did it! It went in!"

Nathan was in the middle of approaching Sam when he stopped. Daddy. There it was. It had been almost a month since they had decided Nathan would be adopted Sam and now he had finally called him daddy. Nathan tried to hold back his excitement, but looked at his fiancée, who had approached as well. She nodded to him and smiled. She let a tear or two fall before wiping her eyes.

"How come you're crying, mommy?" Sam hadn't even noticed that he had called Nathan daddy. It had come out so naturally.

"I'm just so proud of you for that shot, sweetie," Haley lied. It was a little white lie, but she didn't want to overwhelm him.

They played for a while longer. Haley even tried a few times, but the only way she could make it was if she shot it granny style. Nathan tried not to laugh. He wasn't teasing her, not really. He thought it was adorable. She had a similar look of concentration on her face that Sam did when he was really trying.

* * *

They were now walking toward the last destination on Nathan's tour. It wasn't that far from the River Court, but then again, nothing was that far in Tree Hill. Haley was really taking a liking to the town.

"This is it," Nathan announced.

They were standing in a parking lot. It was filled with cars. In front of the lot was a large building. The sign in front read "Tree Hill High School." Haley looked around. A few students were walking around, but not many. It was mid-morning, so she assumed they were in classes.

"That, there," Nathan pointed. There were brick columns holding up the white stucco building.

"Whitey Durham Field House," Haley read. "Who's Whitey Durham?"

"That would be me," a gruff voice answered, coming from behind them. Nathan, Haley, and Sam turned.

"Coach!" Nathan greeted the older man and went to shake his hand. Instead of taking his hand, Whitey pulled Nathan in for a hug.

"Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in. I'm guessin' you're home for Thanksgiving."

"Yes, sir." Nathan had always called his coach Whitey. It was his name. The older man had preferred Coach Durham, but Dan Scott had been referring to him as Whitey for Nathan's entire life. Still, Nathan hadn't respected anyone quite the way he respected Whitey, so there was still some formality. "I'd like you to meet some people, Coach."

Nathan gestured toward Haley and Sam. "This is my family, Coach. This is Haley, my fiancée. And this is our son, Sam."

Whitey raised an eyebrow and looked at Nathan. "You've been busy." Whitey looked at Haley and Sam. "She sure is pretty. You better keep an eye on her. Nice to meet you, young lady. And you, young man, it's a pleasure."

"It's nice to meet you, Coach Durham."

"HA! Finally, someone with some respect. You hold onto her. I think you could learn a few things from her."

"I already have," Nathan responded.

"How are you, son? Everything okay?"

Nathan knew that Whitey was talked about his knee. He also knew that Whitey had known Dan. He had seen how hard Dan had pushed him and he knew that Whitey would never do that to him. Whitey had been a great coach. He put his players ahead of winning.

"I'm good, Coach. I finished my physical therapy; it's just a matter of seeing how well it's healed in a few months. Then we'll have some decisions to make. Right now, I'm just glad I'm on my own two feet."

"I'm glad to hear it. What about the rest? Your mother said that the knee wasn't the worst injury. There was surgery?"

Nathan nodded. "I'm fine."

"He's been doing great," Haley added.

"Well, you gonna stare at the building all day or do you want to come in?"

"Actually, I think we should get back. We've been walking through town all morning," Nathan explained.

"You have a beautiful town," Haley told him.

"We're fond of it. Well, I'll be seeing you tomorrow at dinner then. Keith invited me. You know, you should come by on Friday night if you're still in town. Annual father son game. Might be a nice chance for you to get rid of some bad memories for you."

"Yeah. We'll still be here. We'll think about it," Nathan answered.

"Well, I'd better get in there. I have game tape to go over. It was good seeing you, Nathan. Haley, Sam, it was a pleasure. I look forward to getting to talk to you more tomorrow."

"It was good meeting you too, Coach. Maybe you can share some stories about Nathan tomorrow."

Nathan winced.

"You might change your mind about him if I do that," Whitey joked.

Haley laughed, but she was still a little sensitive about people joking about Nathan not being good enough for her. "That won't happen." She squeezed Nathan's hand.

"It was nice meeting you." It was the first Sam had spoken during that conversation. Again, he was shy around new adults and Whitey had an imposing presence.

Whitey excused himself and left the young family. Nathan gave the gym one last look before he, Haley, and Sam began their walk home.

* * *

**Note:** Thanks for reading! Hopefully I can get another chapter to you all soon.

By the way, the title of the next story is going to be _And We Lean In_.


	46. Chapter FortyFive

**Disclaimer: **One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Once again, I thank you all for the reviews! You've been great. Enjoy!

* * *

Deb was going through her refrigerator, picking things out to take to Karen's for Thanksgiving the next day. Deb may not have been a good cook, but she was excellent when it came to shopping. For the past few Thanksgivings, she had offered to do most of the grocery shopping. She took the job seriously, making sure to go to as many stores as she could to find the best deals. She had even taken to cutting coupons, which was something she had never done while she was still married to Dan. She was just making sure that she had everything she needed. The one thing that hadn't been on her list to buy was the turkey. Keith was taking care of that.

As Deb was kneeling in front of the refrigerator, digging through the crisper, she noticed a shadow. She looked up and saw her son standing there, his arms crossed over his chest. She stood up slowly. Nathan hadn't approached her since the night before. She knew that he needed his space and she hoped he would come around. She looked at him and couldn't help the sheepish look on her face.

"He treats you good?"

"He does. He's a wonderful man."

"Is it serious?"

Deb thought about how to answer that. "I don't know where it's going to go, Nathan. I do know that right now, he makes me happy. It's been a long time since-"

"You can stop right there," Nathan interrupted, not wanting to hear what she was about to say next. "I don't want details. He's my age, mom."

"I know that. Nathan," Deb tried to explain herself, "I was with your father for all of my adult life. For a while, after he went away, I didn't know how to be an adult by myself. You were both gone and I didn't know what to do. Antwon, we have fun together. He just wants me to be happy. I know our age difference might become an issue later. But adults are allowed to have fun. I'm not asking for your permission. You don't even have to like it. But I am asking you to respect me."

Nathan leaned against the counter, his arms still crossed. He looked down at his shoes. He shifted his weight so that most of his weight was on his left leg. After all of their walking, his knee was bothering him a little. "I'm sorry. You surprised me. Just try to keep the PDA to a minimum around me."

"I could say the same for you," Deb joked. "Don't think I don't see you and Haley when you think no one else is looking." She noticed Nathan's look. He was about to protest. He knew that he and Haley weren't that showy with their relationship. They tried to keep things PG since they were usually around Sam. "I don't mean that. I just mean that whenever you two are around, you're touching in some way. Sometimes you hold hands. If you're sitting next to each other, her head might be on your shoulder and your arm around her. It's nice to see you so happy, Nathan."

Nathan let the earlier conversation go. He'd settled things with his mom and that was good. He did the mature thing. He knew how happy he was and he wasn't surprised to find out that other people could see it. He couldn't help walking around with a smile on his face.

"I am happy," he told his mother.

* * *

Haley shook her head, bemused. She could hear the men shouting from the living room. It was Thanksgiving and football was on. She was helping Deb, Mae, Peyton, and Karen clean up. Lucas, Nathan, Royal, Keith, Skills, and Whitey were spread out in the living room watching the game. Apparently some of them were happy with what had just happened and some weren't.

"What are you doing here? Go watch football with the boys," Mae ordered.

Haley turned around and saw Nathan leaning in the doorway.

"Though I'd see if you needed any help."

"Finally, one of you has manners," Karen joked.

Haley was washing dishes while the others did other tasks. She held a dish towel out for Nathan and he took it. The two stood side by side at the sink. Haley washed, then handed them to Nathan to dry. It was like a little assembly line. They worked in a comfortable silence, not realizing that they were being watched. The silence was broken when they heard the sound of a camera shutter. The both looked over their shoulders and saw Mae standing with a camera.

"You two were so cute, I couldn't resist," Mae explained.

Nathan and Haley didn't say anything, but just smiled. They couldn't help but fall into their own rhythm when they were together, and apparently it applied when they were doing something as simple as washing dishes.

"Haley, you've been such a big help, thank you," Karen told her.

"Oh, of course. It's great to get to spend the day with you all." Haley glanced at the small table in the kitchen. Sam and Lily were coloring together. They'd gotten along well, despite Lily being a year older than Sam. The two new cousins had almost been inseparable since Sam, Nathan, and Haley arrived. Karen had told Haley that it was nice for Lily to have someone her own age at holiday functions like this.

Haley hadn't considered that. She had been the first of her siblings to have a child, but the others soon followed. Now, Eli, Vivian, and Ned all had children. There were always plenty of other kids for Sam to play with at Thanksgiving and Christmas. All of those kids would be invading Haley and Nathan's house for Christmas. Lily would be there as well.

"I'm looking forward to spending Christmas in the sun," Deb said. "It'll be much warmer in California than it is here."

"You know, this will actually be our first Christmas in California," Haley informed them. "We usually go see my family."

"They've never come out to see you?" Karen began stacking clean dishes in the cupboard.

"We usually just go wherever the James's are," Peyton said. "Nebraska, Virginia, Charleston."

"Have you two been spending every Christmas together?" Mae was trying to find room in the refrigerator for leftovers.

"Since we were seven," Haley replied.

"That year, my dad and I went to the James's house. It was the first Christmas without my mom," Peyton explained, "so they insisted my dad and I join them. Then, Brooke decided she'd rather be with us than with her parents in Italy. We've been together ever since."

"It's rare, you know," Karen told them. "You don't often find friends that are with you throughout everything in life."

"We know. We definitely don't take it for granted," Peyton said. "Haley, do you remember the year Brooke tried to bake for everyone?"

"Brookie's Cookies," Haley laughed. "Oh, that did not go well."

"Your parents's kitchen was a mess."

"Brooke in a kitchen, I'll bet it was," Nathan commented. "I'm guessing your parents didn't mind."

"They came in and found the kitchen covered in flour and sugar and dough all over the place. They picked up some of the dough, threw it right at us. It ended up being a lot of fun."

"I'm looking forward to meeting your family," Deb said.

"Me too," Mae agreed. "They sound like a lot of fun."

"Well, you'll meet them. They're all coming. All six brothers and sisters, four significant others, four children, and my parents."

"I haven't even met them all yet," Nathan added.

"Oh, Taylor is gonna love you," Peyton teased. Haley glared at her. Nathan frowned. He'd heard several stories about Taylor James and they all made him a little nervous.

Everyone had a chance to relax once they were done cleaning up. Nathan, Haley, and Sam didn't stay much longer. Sam had a bedtime that he was already up later than because of the holiday. Deb would be staying with Skills that night. Nathan had cringed when Deb announced it. He had been polite to Skills, but he also had thrown a few glares his way.

* * *

Sam was sound asleep in the room across the hall from Nathan and Haley. Nathan and Haley were in bed together, their clothes on the floor, and the two of them wrapped in the sheets and blankets of Nathan's bed. They had the curtains for the French doors open and could see the rain falling despite the dark skies. As soon as they walked into the bedroom and closed the door, Haley's lips were on Nathan's and she was taking his clothes off. He couldn't possibly deny her.

Now, they were laying in bed together, Haley half on top of Nathan, both deeply satisfied. Haley had her head on Nathan's chest. Her arm was around his stomach. He was holding her close, his eyes closed, but he was awake.

"Nathan, what if we got married here? In Tree Hill."

"Are you sure?" Nathan opened his eyes and looked down at her.

"Yeah. If you want to. It's important to you. It's also beautiful here. I'll bet it's even more beautiful in the summer. It's beautiful and it's quiet. I think it would be a great place for our wedding."

"There's this spot, out there on the beach. It's beautiful. There's this grass right before the sand. I could take you there tomorrow and show you. I think it would be nice. Are you sure this is what you want?"

"North Carolina is home, Nathan. It's where we're both from. It's where we had our first kiss. It feels right. I think we should get married here."

"Okay. Let's get married in Tree Hill. June thirteenth in Tree Hill, North Carolina."

"It's perfect. It's not too far for my family, your family is already here, and there's no paparazzi here. We'll have all of our loved ones and our privacy. And that spot on the beach sounds perfect."

"We don't have to get married there. I just thought maybe it might be nice. It is beautiful, but if you want to get married in a church, we could do that."

"We'll take a look at it tomorrow before the game." They had decided that they would attend the game tomorrow. Nathan was curious to see how his old team was doing and Whitey seemed excited to have him there. Nathan knew Whitey wouldn't make a fuss about him being there. Whitey would be focused on the game. The father son game was usually a lot of fun. The guys were all out there to have a good time. With one exception.

"What are you thinking about?" Haley traced a finger along Nathan's chin.

"My dad, actually. That father son game."

"Whitey said something about bad memories."

Nathan shrugged. "My dad and I played in it once. It didn't go well."

"I'm sorry."

"It's in the past."

"It's still bothering you, though."

"Not really. I just sort of thought of it. Now I just think it's sad."

"What happened?"

"The other dads were great. Keith played for Lucas. That made Dan mad. He saw it like he was coming back and gracing them with his presence. He played to win instead of have fun. He fouled me, knocked me on my ass. He did it just to show me that he could and that he was better than me."

Haley leaned up a little more, the sheets still covering her. She rested her forehead against Nathan's head. "He's not better than you. You're a better father than he could have ever hoped to be."

"I know I'm better than him. You wouldn't be with me if I was like him."

"Damn straight, mister." Haley kissed him, crashing her lips to his. She moaned quietly into his mouth.

Nathan kissed her back, but couldn't keep a laugh from escaping from him.

"What?" Haley backed away, leaning on him with her hand on his chest.

"You just, you kinda pounced on me when we got in here. I barely had time to close the door before you were taking my clothes off."

"Oh," Haley blushed. "That."

"Yeah. That. I don't mind, Hales. I'll make love to you whenever you want."

Haley stretched out next to him, her leg moving to lie on top of his. "I can't really explain it. I knew that making love to you would be good. I don't know, I guess because I love you so much. I just didn't know it was going to be this good and that I'd crave you this much. Also, I guess I feel a little liberated. That was the very last hold that Damien Smith had over me. Like I told you, I never think of him when we're together and I think of him less and less the longer we're together. But it's like I'm finally completely rid of him. This is all my decision, you know? It's all in my hands. You were my choice. And I guess, well, I guess I kind of want to enjoy my choice as much as possible.

"Ugh," she ran her hand along her face. "That makes it sound like I'm using you, doesn't it? I'm not. I promise; not really."

Nathan laughed again. "It's fine, Hales. I get it. Kind of. And if you using me ends up like this, then I'm all for it. Use me all you want. I crave you too."

"It's also nice feeling how much you want me. I know how much you love me and I know you want me. It's just nice to really feel all of it. I guess, basically, I'm just really happy to have all of you and for you to have all of me."

Nathan looked out the French doors. It was raining even heavier than it had when they first got home. "The rain has been nice for us."

"It has. Who would have thought that dreary weather would be so wonderful."

"I don't think it's dreary at all, Hales. We first said I love you when it was raining. We made up after I was an ass when it rained. We got engaged and made love for the first time when it was raining. Rain is good."

"Just imagine it in London with all that rain they get there."

"We might not ever get out of bed if we went there. We might not even get to see the city."

"Well, we might go out one day."

"What if we went there on our honeymoon?"

"Really?" Haley looked up at him and couldn't help the excited glint in her eyes. "I've never been. Not even on tour. I wasn't sure about Sam traveling that far, you know?"

"If you don't want to, that's fine. We can stay somewhere closer to Sam. Or, he could come with us."

Haley raised an eyebrow. "You know I love Sam more than anything, but I think he'll be okay if we go on our honeymoon together. He'll have a great time with Brooke and Peyton. In fact, I'm pretty sure they already assume they're going to watch him."

"You're sure? I'd be fine if he came."

"I'm sure, Nathan." She kissed him.

"So, we're going to London."

"I think that would be great. I've always wanted to see Europe."

"I told you, Hales, I'm not sure we'll get out of the hotel room. Especially if it's raining."

"Well, we'll see about that," she argued playfully.

"We will see. You're the one who can't keep her hands off of me. It's okay, you don't have to say it. I know I'm sexy."

Haley let out a laugh. "And modest."

"Don't deny it, Hales."

"Okay. Maybe you're a little sexy."

Nathan smirked and turned so he was covering her. His hand moved lower and lower until he reached her stomach. He began tickling her, causing her to laugh.

"You're gonna wake up Sam," he teased.

"Then stop tickling me," she said between her laughter.

"You're gonna have to admit it first."

"Fine, fine. You're sexy, Nathan. You're very, very sexy. And all mine." She wrapped her leg around his waist, bringing him closer to her.

"I am definitely all yours."

* * *

Kids and families were crowded around the entrance to the Whitey Durham Field House. They excitedly talked to friends about the upcoming game. The sign outside the school announced that the father son game was that night. Nathan held onto Haley's hand as she held onto Sam. The three filed into the gym with the rest of the crowd. There was a lot of noise and bustle in the gym, but it was nothing compared to the Staples Center.

Nathan looked around happily at the gym. Even though his dad had been present at every game he played in high school, he still had great memories of this gym. This is where he really started working to turn basketball into a positive influence in his life. He couldn't help looking to the wall high above the ground and to the left of the scoreboard. There, in a frame, was his old high school jersey.

Haley followed Nathan's gaze and looked up there. "Nathan, did they retire your jersey?"

He nodded. "The year I got drafted."

"Nathan, that's huge! Congratulations!"

"What's that mean, mommy?"

"It means that Nathan's number was so special that no one else who plays for the Ravens will ever get to wear it again. It's all his."

"Wow," Sam marveled.

"Yeah, it's a big deal."

"It's not that big," Nathan brushed it off.

"Are you kidding me? It's a big deal, Nathan." She kissed him on the cheek.

The family of three made their way through the throng of people. There was a lot of excitement in the crowd. This game always brought a lot of people out. Tree Hill loved its basketball, but it also loved seeing the fathers and sons play together. They enthusiastically cheered for both the sons and their fathers. The crowd was a sea of Raven blue. A few people had little pom poms and Raven pennants.

"This town takes its basketball seriously," Haley observed.

"This isn't even the worst of it," Nathan chuckled.

A few people turned their heads when they saw him. He came home for holidays, but he hadn't been to a Ravens game since they retired his jersey. Some people in town had known him from when he was younger. The kids looked at him, though, impressed. They also noticed Haley, instantly recognizing her. A few whispers could be heard as they passed. The cheerleaders in particular had crowded together after Nathan, Haley, and Sam walked by them.

Nathan walked them toward the bleachers to where Lucas and Peyton were already sitting. They climbed up to join them, Nathan letting Sam and Haley walk to their seats before him.

"They're still as pumped for this as they ever were," Lucas remarked.

"Whitey was saying the team was doing good this season," Nathan commented.

"Hey, Sam," Lucas got the boy's attention. "See that?" Lucas was pointing to a banner hanging from the ceiling of the gym. "It says Tree Hill Ravens – North Carolina High School Basketball State Champions."

"That's when Uncle Lucas and me played," Nathan continued.

"Really?"

"Yep," Lucas answered. "It means that that year, we were the best basketball team in the state."

"Whoa." Sam was impressed by everything around him. Instead of sitting in his seat he was standing up and watching everything around him. He'd never been to a high school gym before, so that was new for him. He'd been to the Staples Center plenty of times, but he liked this gym more. This gym had Nathan all over it. There was evidence in this gym that Nathan was as great as Sam thought he was. Sam thought of Nathan as a hero.

"Nathan Scott." An authoritative voice caught their attention. Nathan looked up to see a man in his late forties standing in front of them. He stood up and held out his hand.

"Principal Turner, how are you?"

"I'm good. It's good to see you. I didn't know you were coming. If I had, we would have done something."

"No, no. This is okay. This is fine."

"Lucas," Principal Turner turned his attention, "it's good to see you."

"You too, sir."

"Uh, this is my fiancée, Haley. This is our son, Sam," Nathan introduced them.

"It's nice to meet the two of you," Principal Turner greeted them.

"This is my girlfriend, Peyton," Lucas introduced Peyton.

"It's nice to see you two boys finally settling down," Principal Turner joked. "Nathan, I heard about your accident. It's good to know you're okay."

"Thank you, sir. I'm lucky to be here." Nathan felt Haley squeeze his hand. He knew she felt the same way.

Principal Turner left them to watch the game, taking his seat closer to the bench and Whitey. The team filed out and the crowd went crazy. Nathan remembered that feeling he used to get when he stepped onto this very same court. He remembered how fans and cheerleaders would start shouting his name. He'd smirk, his confidence never wavering. He'd get out on the court and focus on his game, knowing that he was the best out there.

In a way, he was still like that throughout college and professional basketball. He knew he was good. He had an enormous amount of confidence in his abilities. But, the player who had worn that jersey now hanging in the gym had taken a while to understand that this was a team sport. Once he realized that, he realized that he had to rely on his teammates as much as himself. He had to have confidence in them, as well. That was when his game really clicked. That changed everything.

Watching the young Ravens take the court that night, Nathan hoped that they had that same knowledge. He knew that with Whitey as their coach that he was teaching them that they played as a team. No one player was more important than the others. He watched as they played against their fathers, but also with their fathers. They were having fun and loving the game simply for the sake of loving the game. Nathan briefly wished it could have been liked that when he played with Dan, but he was grateful that he'd made it passed that. Without all of that, Nathan might not be aware enough to be that man he was now.

* * *

**Note:** So, we now know where the wedding will take place. :) Thanks again for your support, I love reading all of your reviews.


	47. Chapter FortySix

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** I had writer's block. Enjoy!

* * *

Haley casually walked through the Clothes Over Bros. floor of their building. She nodded and said hello to a few of Brooke's employees. There were still some who hadn't returned from the Thanksgiving holiday, so things were pretty quiet. Haley hadn't seen Brooke since before they left. She always missed holidays with Brooke. As their lives became busier and they went on their separate ways, they didn't share every holiday. Haley wished that that part of their friendship hadn't changed, but she was still grateful that Brooke and Peyton got to be part of her everyday life, and she theirs.

She found Brooke in her office. Her tongue was between her lips and she was looking at her computer screen, concentrating on something. Haley lightly knocked on the door frame before walking in. She took a seat in the chair opposite Brooke's desk.

"Hey, how was Tree Hill?"

"Oh, it was great, Brooke. It's such a beautiful little town. Peaceful, no paparazzi."

"Oh, that sounds like heaven. Julian and I kept getting our picture taken even though the resort promised us complete privacy."

Haley cringed. "I'm sorry."

Brooke waved her hand. "No worries. So, how was it spending your first major holiday with Boy Toy?"

Haley blushed. "It was great."

"And how's the sex?" Brooke had been trying for almost a month to get Haley to give her details about her sex life with Nathan. Brooke had never been one to not share things. Even Peyton was likely to give a few details. Brooke understood Haley and her experiences. Even without that, Haley was still the more reserved of the three. Brooke was hoping to get something about Haley, though. Any little bit of information. Haley was staying quiet.

Part of the reason Haley was staying quiet was that she liked seeing Brooke squirm. She got some enjoyment over seeing Brooke try to get information out of her and getting nothing. A large reason was that Haley was still protective over that part of her relationship with Nathan. All of it was so new. They were still in a discovery phase for them.

"Fine, keep your secrets," Brooke relented. "But I'm not giving up!"

"I didn't think you were. I do have some news."

"Ooh, spill!" Brooke leaned forward, whatever was on her computer was forgotten.

"Nathan and I decided to get married in Tree Hill. Like I said, Brooke, it's beautiful, peaceful. It's a great place. It's perfect. His family is there and mine can get there easily."

"Wow. Tree Hill. I wasn't expecting that. Wow. You're sure?"

Haley nodded. "Definitely."

"I don't know, I just kind of assumed you'd get married here since you live here."

"I know. We hadn't really thought of it, actually. I mean, we set the date but I've been so busy with the album that we haven't gotten much further. But we were there and it just hit me that that was where I thought we should get married. Our first kiss was in Charlotte, so now we'll get married in his hometown. Brooke, he showed me this spot, it was so beautiful."

Haley couldn't help smiling as she remembered the spot on the beach Nathan had taken her to. There was a bit of grass that wasn't perfectly manicured. It was a little overgrown and there were wildflowers around the edges. There were a few trees there, but not too many. It was the perfect size for a small wedding for their closest family and friends. At the edge of the grass was the sand. Several feet away, the waves could be heard crashing as they reached the shore. It was quiet and just as Nathan had told her, it was beautiful. Haley could just picture them getting married there.

Haley took her phone from her pocket and scrolled through the options. She then handed it to Brooke.

"Oh, Haley, it's gorgeous!" Brooke was looking at the pictures Haley had taken of the spot. Haley knew that for the purposes of wedding planning, she would need pictures. Brooke would insist on having them since she was so excited about helping with the wedding planning. "This is great, I can work with this."

"What do you mean work with this?"

"Well, we have a lot of planning to do if we're getting you married on June thirteenth. But I like that I have an idea of what colors we're working with. This is going to be great for planning the gowns. I already have some rough sketches of what you'll be wearing and also what P. Sawyer and I are going to wear. Now I can start working with colors for us. Good work, Tutor Fiancee!"

"Well, you know, anything to make you happy, Brooke!"

"I know, that's what it's all about. So, Peyton knows about this?"

Haley nodded. "I told her yesterday. I came straight here to tell you today."

"Okay, what we need to do is have a big planning session. I've put together a portfolio of ideas."

Haley laughed. "You know, you aren't planning my entire wedding."

"I know, silly. I'm just so excited, Haley! You're the first of us to get married and you found this guy who's great for you and who worships you and your son. I'm excited!"

"I know, Brooke. I am too."

* * *

"Okay, here's what we're gonna do, buddy. You're gonna be behind me on your scooter. I'm going to have the scooter attached to this belt and we're gonna jog. The extra weight of you should help me out. Got it?"

Sam nodded. He stood in front of Nathan wearing the jersey Deb had given him over his t-shirt. Nathan handed him a helmet and Sam dutifully put it on. They were standing in the backyard of what had previously been Nathan's house. Nathan had picked Sam up from school and brought him here. Nathan had spent the day overseeing a crew that was cleaning the house. Nathan wanted the place in top shape for the family that was going to be visiting in the next month for Christmas. They realized that with Haley's parents staying in their RV, they would have room for everyone in the mansion Nathan had purchased.

Hugh and Seth would be visiting. Ned would be bringing his wife Kate along with their son Tommy. Eli and his wife Ellen would be bringing their kids Jenny and Cameron. Vivian and her husband Alex would be coming with their daughter Della. In addition to them, Quinn would be bringing her husband David and Taylor would be coming on her own. Deb would be coming, but Skills wouldn't. Royal and Mae were also coming, along with Karen, Keith, and Lily. In total, with Haley's large family and almost all of Nathan's, they would be having twenty-three guests.

Nathan would have waited closer to Christmas to get the house ready, but there would be almost two dozen people coming. Nathan wasn't sure how they were going to fit everyone into the small house they lived in for the actual holiday, but he was sure they would manage. He was looking forward to having a nice, family Christmas. He was still a little nervous about meeting Eli, Quinn, and Taylor, but he knew it would go smoothly. Things had gone smoothly with the rest of Haley's family.

Nathan had begun normal workouts after Jerry had told him that he could. He was trying to get stronger. In the back of his mind, he kept thinking about how it felt to hold and shoot a basketball over Thanksgiving. He had been so busy with Haley and Sam and his recovery that he hadn't let himself think about how much he was missing the game. After holding the ball, he couldn't deny it anymore.

Haley had encouraged him to try and get his dream back. He was grateful that he hadn't thought of it while focusing on his recovery. He needed that time to focus on getting his knee back in the condition where he could stand on it. He was just getting there, so now his mind could think of other things. Other things like basketball. That would be a while away, but he was still looking forward to getting back out there and at least doing some of the things he used to do before the accident.

This new workout he'd thought of was different. He hadn't tried it before, but Sam asked if he could help. Nathan thought this might be fun for both of them.

Nathan made sure that Sam was secure before he took off jogging down his street. It was hard. He could feel how out of shape his body was, even though Haley had told him that he was in great shape. He smirked at the thought, but focused back on his running. He could feel that his knee was stiff, but he tried working through it. He could feel his muscles sore, but he continued.

Nathan pushed on, but occasionally looked back to make sure Sam was okay. The boy was smiling and having a great time. He held onto the handle bars of his scooter and cheered Nathan on as they ran through the neighborhood. It was a quiet afternoon. The neighborhood had actually always been quiet. The weather was getting cooler now that it was nearly December, but Nathan didn't mind. He'd trained in harsher weather when Dan used to train him.

Nathan could feel the sweat over his body. It was now soaking through his gray t-shirt, but he pressed on. He would go for one more block. He was going to be smart about this. He knew he wanted to work on his recovery, but he didn't want to ruin anything. He didn't want to hurt himself. This was probably a bit much, if he was being honest. But Sam had looked so excited about helping Nathan and Nathan thought this sounded like it might be fun for him.

"Is your knee okay? Do you need ice?" Sam was now removing his helmet as they stood in front of the house. The crew was mostly done for the day and was about to leave. Once they did, Sam and Nathan would be heading home.

"I'm good. Thanks for your help, Sam." Nathan held his fist out.

"You're welcome. Are we gonna do that again?"

"Not for a few days. I've got to take it easy so I don't hurt myself," Nathan explained.

"Hey, daddy?" Nathan smiled. Sam had begun calling him that when they were in Tree Hill. Once he started, he couldn't stop. He hadn't called Nathan by his name since then.

"Yeah?"

"If I ever played for the Ravens, I couldn't be twenty-three anymore?"

"Oh, no. But, you know, we live in California, so I don't think you'll be playing for the Tree Hill Ravens."

Sam thought about it. "I like having your number."

"I like you having my number too."

* * *

Haley, Peyton, and Brooke sat around her kitchen table. They had the entire table covered. Brooke had brought fabric swatches with her, as well as her sketch book. She was also showing Haley the beginnings of her portfolio. When Brooke had mentioned it, Haley knew she needed to step in. If she could, she was going to try to keep the portfolio at her house. She knew she'd been busy, but she really wanted to be planning this wedding with Nathan.

Inside the portfolio, Brooke had a few rough ideas. A few were actually things that Haley had mentioned in the past. As young girls, they had sometimes talked about their future weddings and what they had wanted. Brooke had incorporated a few of those things.

"I want purple," Haley told them.

"Purple," Peyton repeated.

"Well, you know, Nathan has been bringing me those little purple flowers ever since our first date. I love those flowers. I don't even know if we can find them in Tree Hill for the ceremony, but maybe something similar. Either way, I want a purple like that for our colors."

"Okay, now we're getting somewhere. I've been waiting for you to make some decisions," Brooke said.

"Brooke, I've been a little busy."

"I know, I know. Okay, let me write this down. I remember those flowers. They're cute and so Naley. Now, can I talk you into Team Naley sweats for the morning before?"

Haley glared.

"Didn't think so. Now, these were some of the ideas I had for bridesmaid dresses. I sort of figured you'd just have two bridesmaids instead of picking between us for a maid of honor."

"Actually, you're both my maid of honor. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Brooke and Peyton smiled at each other and then Haley.

"What about the song for your first dance? Do you and Nathan even have a song?" Peyton began turning the pages of Brooke's portfolio, looking to see if anything mentioned music.

"We don't. We've never really danced together, actually. Let me think about the music part, okay?"

"Okay. What if Mia performed a few songs? That might be nice."

Haley nodded. "Yeah, if she's not busy."

"It would be kind of nice. I mean, you did discover the girl," Peyton reminded her.

"We both did."

"You discovered her," Peyton insisted. Haley had been the one to recognize Mia's talent before anyone else.

Before Haley could protest again, Nathan and Sam walked into the house. Haley looked at them. Sam ran to the refrigerator and pulled out a juice box. He handed Nathan a bottle of water. Nathan's shirt was stained with sweat.

"Workout?" Haley stood and leaned in to kiss him, careful not to get too close.

"Yeah. Sam helped me out. What are you three up to?"

"Planning your wedding," Brooke shrieked!

"I, uh, I told her we picked a spot. She's been making a few plans without us."

"Did you make any decisions?" Nathan wiped some of the water from his chin.

"Purple," Haley told him.

"Purple?"

"Yeah. I thought it would be a nice color for us. It'll match those little flowers you bring me. Is that okay?"

Nathan nodded. "Purple it is. Just as long as I'm not wearing purple."

"Relax. I have you in a very classic black tie tux. You're going to look great. Especially next to her," Brooke indicated to Haley.

"She makes anyone look better," Nathan agreed, smirking at Haley.

"Well, aren't you charming," Haley flirted with him.

"I've been told that before."

"Oh? By who?"

"This woman. Really great. She's about a foot shorter, brown hair, beautiful eyes, standing right in front of me right now."

"Were they this mushy all weekend?" Brooke looked at Peyton.

"All weekend," Peyton confirmed. "But it's no different from how they usually are."

"Okay, so we'll have the ceremony on the grass with the chairs set up. You said you wanted your guest list capped at fifty, which I think is insane by the way," Brooke told them.

"We should be facing the water," Nathan said. He walked to the table where Brooke had print outs of the pictures Haley had taken. "With maybe, I don't know, some flowers next to us or something? But, you know, she walks down the aisle and then we're where the grass meets the sand and the ocean is out there."

The three woman looked at Nathan. Peyton looked confused, Brooke looked shocked, and Haley looked in awe.

Nathan shrugged. "It's how I pictured it when I thought of this place."

"This? This place was your idea? Boy Toy, you just get better and better."

"Thanks, Brooke. I'm going to go grab a shower," he told them.

"Thanks," Haley teased.

"Hey!" Nathan pretended to be offended, but really wasn't.

"You stink a little, babe," she told him honestly.

"I'm gonna get you back for that later." He winked at Haley before retreating.

Haley turned and saw Brooke about to open her mouth. "There is a five year-old in the room. One who needs to wash up before dinner. Are you two staying?"

"Uh, sure," Peyton said.

"You want to give Luke and Julian a call?"

"Good plan. Impromptu dinner and wedding planning party," Brooke excitedly got her cell phone out.

* * *

As Haley prepared dinner, Peyton and Brooke played with Sam, each of them taking turns playing with his Wii. Julian and Lucas joined in when they got there. As soon as Nathan was out of the shower, he helped Haley with dinner even though she had told him that he could play video games with everyone else. He told her that he had spent the day away from her and now wanted to just help her.

"So, wedding plans," Nathan said as he washed the lettuce for Haley.

"Not too many. Just a few. To be honest, I love how enthusiastic they are, but I really want the two of us to do this."

"Yeah? I thought every girl wanted to plan her wedding with her girlfriends?"

"Well, we do. The difference between planning a wedding then and planning one now is you. I want us to share this. I meant what I said, Nathan. This is our wedding, not just mine."

"Okay. So maybe after Christmas, when your album is ready and things quiet down we can work on planning our wedding?"

Haley leaned up to kiss him. "Good plan." They continued working in silence as Haley put Nathan to work chopping vegetables. "You know, we don't have a song."

"Like, 'They're playing our song?''"

"Yeah. We don't really have one. I mean, I have music playing in the house a lot, but nothing that's really us."

"Well, maybe we should work on that. I'm sorry we don't have a song, Hales."

"It's okay. It was just mentioned. We need a song for our first dance."

A look crossed Nathan's features and it did not go unnoticed by Haley. "What is it?"

"I can't," he stammered. "I can't really dance. I kinda suck."

Haley laughed a little, then set own the food she was preparing. Washing off her hands and drying them off, she set the dish rag on the counter and turned to Nathan. She put her arms around his neck. When he stood there, unsure of what to do, she moved her hands. She guided his hands and placed them on her hips. With her arms back around his neck, she stood on her tip toes and kissed him. She began humming something that was familiar to him, but he wasn't sure what the song was.

"Just sway. Shuffle your feet a little," she told him.

He did as instructed and shuffled his feet along the floor of the kitchen. He moved his hands from her hips and clasped them behind her back, bringing her closer. She continued humming, closed her eyes, and rested her head on his chest.

"See, you're dancing."

Nathan rested his chin on the top of Haley's head. "You make it seem easy."

"You just have to sway a little. You just have to hold me."

"That I can do. I can definitely hold you. So, what's that song you're humming?"

"It's called 'More Than Anyone.'"

"Should that be our song? It is the first time we've danced together."

"It is a really nice song. We'll think about it. Maybe you should hear the whole thing before we make a decision."

"Maybe we should just record you humming it and go with that?"

"Yeah, how about no? We'll listen to some actual songs. But see, you can dance." As soon as the words came out of Haley's lips, she jumped back. She felt Nathan step on her toes and he backed away quickly.

"I'm sorry, Hales."

"It's fine, Nathan. It's fine." She kissed him again, and then turned back to the food. "We've got some hungry guests, though."

* * *

The seven of them were crowded around Haley and Nathan's dining room table getting ready to eat. Nathan and Sam had set the table while Haley got the food ready to serve. They were sitting and about to eat when Lucas spoke.

"You know, we haven't had the chance to do this since you two got engaged, so let's do it right, with all of us here. So, raise your glasses, everyone," Lucas instructed. "To Nathan, Haley, and to Sam. Congratulations on the engagement and the adoption. You guys have made one hell of a family."

"Bro," Nathan admonished.

"Sorry. One heck of a family." Nathan had gotten good at reprimanding Lucas for his use of language around Sam. "Well, to Nathan, Haley, and Sam."

The adults all around them toasted the family before taking a drink and settling into dinner.

"Thanks for that, Lucas," Haley said.

"No problem. Thanks for loving him," he discreetly said as Nathan was busy helping Sam get his dinner.

"He's done just as much for me." Haley couldn't stress that enough. When they'd been in Tree Hill, several people had commented on the change in Nathan now that he was with Haley. It bothered her. He was the man she fell in love with. If he hadn't been who he was, she wouldn't have fallen in love with him. She wouldn't go into details with anyone, but she did always make sure to let them know that he had done just as much for her. In truth, she believed he had done more.

"So, Nathan, Brooke tells me you're getting your house ready for Christmas," Julian began the conversation.

"Yeah, it's kind of a mess. It was always too big, so after a while I just sort of started stashing stuff in there. It needs cleaned out and cleaned. Especially if we've got over twenty people staying there over the holidays."

"Twenty people? You have twenty people staying for Christmas?"

"The entire James clan and all of Nathan and Lucas's family," Haley told him.

"Wow. So, it's gonna be busy here."

"It could be worse. Skills could be coming too," Lucas joked.

Nathan glared at his brother and gripped onto his fork, his knuckles turning white.

"Who is Skills?" Julian looked at Peyton and Lucas, who were sharing an amused look.

"Skills is dating Nathan's mom, Deb," Peyton explained.

"She's dating a guy named Skills?"

"Grandpa Skills," Sam supplied.

"Nathan!" Haley looked surprised. "Did you tell him to call him that?"

"Hey, if he's dating my mom, he's gotta get used to it. She's a grandma now."

"Skills is our age," Lucas explained. "He's a good friend of mine."

"Oh," Julian said, not sure what else to say. It was a touchy subject for Nathan, obviously. Everyone else seemed to find it funny.

Despite how uncomfortable the current discussion about his mom and Skills made him, Nathan loved this. He loved that he had people he could count on like this. He loved that he had friends who he could have a nice evening at home with. He got all of that thanks to the woman sitting with him. She'd given him so much. She's given him a great life and he knew it was only going to get better.

* * *

**Note: **Thanks for the reading and reviewing! I'll try and get more up soon.


	48. Chapter FortySeven

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** I'm always completely blown away by your kind reviews. Thank you for reading and reviewing! This chapter is almost all just Nathan and Haley, so enjoy!

* * *

The ball pounded against the ground repeatedly as it was dribbled. It sailed through the air, missing the board and net by a foot. It came to the ground and bounced. It was picked up again and then dribbled. The rhythmic sound of the dribbling echoed through the back yard. Another shot. This one ended up closer. It grazed the nylon net before landing in the grass.

Nathan laughed and shook his head as he watched her. He'd been watching her for several minutes as she attempted to make the basket. She was frowning and her lower lip was between her teeth. Even though she kept missing, she still retrieved the ball and tried again. His girl wasn't one to give up.

He noticed her trying to decide where her feet should go and trying to figure out the best way to hold the ball. She wasn't far off, but it wasn't great.

"Square your shoulders and keep your feet at the same width of your shoulders," he told her, finally letting her know that he was there.

She looked at him and blushed. "How long have you been watching me?"

"Not long. Long enough, I guess. Here, let me help you."

"I'm just messing around," she explained.

"So, let me help you. You want to get it right. I know you. Brooke calls you 'Tutor Girl' for a reason. Or 'Tutor Mom' or whatever. You like to study and get things right. Let me tutor you," he winked.

"Well, if you're up for it," she smiled.

"I'm definitely up for it," he smirked.

Haley couldn't help but laugh. The conversation they were having was so cheesy. Nathan soon joined in on her laughter.

"That sounded like the beginning of a bad porno," he joked.

"This is not going to end with us wearing no clothes out here," she told him.

"That's too bad."

Haley could feel herself getting warmer and turned her attention back to the net in front of her. "So, are you going to show me how to do this?"

Nathan stood behind her and placed his hands on her hips. She could feel his breath on her neck and closed her eyes for a moment.

"Spread your feet a little bit more," he told her. "Then, put your hand like this with your wrist bent, so it's like the ball is just resting there. With your other hand, lightly hold onto the side of the ball. Then, when you go to shoot, your knees are bent a little, you move to stand up straight, and you launch the ball using your wrist."

"So, I stand like this?" Haley tried doing what he said. She shuffled her feet then held the ball at eye level.

"Perfect. Now try shooting."

Haley launched the ball. This time, it hit the rim and circled it before falling to the ground. It didn't make it in, but it was the closest she'd made it.

"That was great, Hales. You did good!" Nathan picked up the ball and handed it to her. "Try again."

Haley tried again. Each time, she almost made it but not quite. She was getting frustrated. Nathan could see her furrowing her brow.

"Okay, drastic times, drastic measures. We're gonna have to do this granny style."

"Granny style?" Haley raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Crouch and squat, use both hands and throw the ball from between your legs."

"You're kidding."

"I'm not."

"I'll look stupid!"

"I think it's the only way it's gonna work, Hales."

"Promise you won't laugh at me?"

"I can promise I'll try."

"Nathan!"

"Hales, I know you want to get this right. Try it like this and let's see what happens."

Haley frowned, but did what he said. She felt so stupid crouching and squatting. With some hesitation, but wanting to get it over with, she lobbed the ball toward the net. Much to her surprise, it went right through the net before bouncing to the ground.

Haley couldn't help the look of joy that came to her face. She smiled and turned to Nathan. He was smiling, but not laughing.

"That's my girl!" He reached her in two strides, wrapping his arms around her. "Good job!"

"Well. I didn't do it the right way."

"But you did it. Maybe just don't quit your day job," he teased.

"Haha. Very funny."

Nathan looked at the hoop. It was standard size, ten feet tall. It wasn't the one that Nathan had bought for Sam. It hadn't been there when Nathan left the house that morning. "What is this, Hales?"

"It's for you. I thought, well, I thought if you wanted to try playing, you should be able to do it at your own home. I know it's not like the court you had in your old house. But it's something."

"You know I might not get the game back, right? It's a long shot."

"But you want it, Nathan. You want to play basketball. It's not everything you are, but it's a big part of it. You love it. Even if you don't get to play again professionally, at least this is here so you can have some fun. I don't want you to hide from your dreams.

"I don't know what I'd do without music. It's done so much for me. I'm pretty sure that you feel that way about basketball. You've done a great job of adjusting to not playing. I'm so proud of you," she took both of his hands in hers, "and I know that if you never play professionally again, you'll be okay. You'll have your family with you through all of it. But I just think you love this game too much to give up yet. If you have to let it go, then you will. You can do it. But I think you're an amazing man capable of amazing things.

"Even Jerry said that once you committed to your recovery, you bounced back faster than almost any other patient he's ever had.

"So, this hoop is here in case you feel like trying it out and playing. This hoop is here just if you feel like shooting free throws."

"Free throws. You got it right," Nathan beamed, remembering when she used to call them free shots. "You know, you're something else. What do you say to spending the rest of your life with me?"

Haley let herself fall into him. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her and held her close as she looked up at him, smiling. "I think spending the rest of my life with you sounds like heaven."

Haley leaned up and used one hand to bring his head closer to hers. Her lips landed on his. Their kiss began slowly, but soon escalated. Nathan's tongue brushed across her lips and Haley opened her mouth to his. She moved her hand so that it was underneath the thin sweater he was wearing. His skin was warm. She tried bringing him closer, as if it was possible.

"And you said this wasn't going to end up with our clothes off," Nathan commented as she moved his sweater further up.

Haley took a step back and blushed. "I got a little carried away."

"You don't have to explain to me."

"It's your fault, anyway!"

"What? How is it might fault?"

Haley began walking back into the house. The basketball lay on the ground, forgotten. Nathan followed his fiancée and closed the door behind him. December in California wasn't that cold, but they still didn't want to leave the door open. The clouds were hanging low in the sky and it looked like it could begin raining.

"It's your fault because you're too sexy." She made it to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. When she looked at him again, she was smiling.

Nathan laughed. "Okay. I'll go with that. I will take responsibility for being too sexy. If that means you can't keep your hands off me, that's fine. And you know why?"

"Why?"

Nathan was getting closer to her. He brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Because I can't keep my hands off you either."

Haley grabbed him by his sweater and pulled him closer. "How about you take me upstairs?"

"Do we have time for that?" Even as he was asking, Nathan's lips brushed against hers. "We have to pick up Sam soon."

"We have a little bit of time."

"Are you suggesting we go upstairs and have a quickie?"

"I am," she said, running her hand up his arm, feeling his bicep through his sweater. "So, what do you say?"

"Lead the way, fiancée."

"I love when you call me that," she took his hand, leading him to the stairs and their bedroom.

* * *

Spread out throughout the living room were plastic containers, several gallons deep. Their lids were cast aside. Some were still full, some were half empty. Christmas music played in the background. Jaunty, happy carols filtered through the room. Standing in the corner of the living room was a six foot pine tree, currently completely unadorned.

Haley held one end of a strand of lights as Sam held onto the other. Nathan watched the two of them as they went through their routine. They had explained it to him after they brought Sam home from school and began decorating. That was their task for the afternoon and evening. They were finally going to put up all of their Christmas decorations. Nathan had recognized the containers. When he had helped Haley organize her garage over a year earlier he had helped put them away.

Christmas at the Scott house had never been warm. Deb and Dan had always hired someone to do the decorating for them. One day, after school, Nathan would come home to find that all of the decorations had been put up. There was always a theme; there was always some sort of organization about it. One year, the theme had been the Nutcracker. Another year, the theme was purple. Instead of green and red, the house was covered in purple and ivory decorations.

Nathan had had a glimpse of what Christmas could be like. Karen, Keith, Lucas, and Lily always went all out. They decorated together and none of their decorations matched. Their decorations had stories, though. For them, Christmas wasn't about going through the motions. Christmas was about family and doing things together.

Now that Nathan had a family of his own, he was experiencing that kind of Christmas. He couldn't help the warm feeling he got as he watched Haley and Sam. They had clearly done this before. If he had to guess, he would say that it was probably something she had done with her parents growing up. It was a tradition she was passing down. She may just be checking that all of their lights for the tree were working, but it was still a tradition. He was happy to be taking part in it.

Haley held the end of the strand that needed to be plugged in as Sam held the other. She plugged it in and as Sam held on, she walked, checking each of the one hundred lights, making sure that they worked. They did this for every strand. Sam took his job seriously. After Haley checked, she would ask Sam if he saw any burnt out lights. Even though they both knew that he didn't need to check, she still had Nathan triple check to make sure their lights worked.

"Tell me about Sam's first Christmas," Nathan asked as they went through the decorations. For the most part, the knick knacks around the house were all put up. They had a tiny Christmas village that Haley and Sam had painted themselves. Nathan could clearly tell which ones Sam had painted. The paint on them was all over the place. It was another tradition. Each year, they added a piece to their village. Similar to Keith and Karen's decorations, Haley's and Sam's had stories. As they went through the house decorating, Nathan was overjoyed that he'd be able to have those stories with them.

"Sam," Haley got her son's attention as he went through the Christmas ornaments. Nathan and Haley were working together to put the lights on the tree. The trees he had growing up always just had white lights. Haley's and Sam's were multi-colored. This was going to be the most colorful Christmas Nathan had ever had and he couldn't wait. The next day, Lucas and Julian would be coming over to help him put up the outdoor lights. Apparently, Lucas had helped the year before when Nathan was at an away game.

One thing that had been in the back of Nathan's mind since he picked up a basketball again was the thought of being away from Haley and Sam. If he did get his game back and got back on the team, he would be away from them a long time. He might have to miss things like this. He wouldn't be able to be here with Haley and Sam putting up Christmas decorations. He didn't like thinking about it, as much as he loved basketball.

"Sam, do you remember your first Christmas?" Haley knew he didn't. He was only three months old at the time.

Sam shook his head in response as he continued sorting through the ornaments. Nathan and Haley continued working together, trying to get all of the lights on.

"He was three months old," she began. "We were living in Palo Alto. Normally, we would have gone home to my parents, but I couldn't afford it. I was trying to save as much money as I could so I could take care of him. I still wanted him to have the best Christmas he could. Even if he wasn't going to remember it. Brooke and Peyton helped a lot with that.

"See, they always spent Christmas with us. Basically, from that first year we were friends. Brooke's parents never really did anything except a few parties for her dad's colleagues. Peyton's dad tried, but it was hard on them. They were used to Christmas with my family and with eleven of us, Christmas was hectic. But it was also great. A lot of fun, a lot of love.

"Well, Brooke and Peyton surprised me that year. I tried to hide it, but I was actually sad that Sam wasn't going to get to spend his first Christmas with my family. With his family. So, Brooke and Peyton talked to my parents. Instead of everyone gathering wherever the most of them could meet, they all came out to Palo Alto. They stayed in hotels in the area. They came to our little apartment and cooked. My mom, my dad, my brothers, and sisters. That, by the way, is how I know everyone will fit in here. When it's family, you make it work.

"Sam loved it, even if he doesn't remember it." Haley had moved around the tree and she and Nathan were now standing in front of each other. "They spoiled him so much. He loved the lights, the decorations, he loved his family. He loved being the center of attention. A year earlier…" Haley looked in Sam's direction.

"I know," Nathan whispered so she wouldn't have to say it out loud in front of Sam.

"Having my family there and that beautiful little boy… It made all the difference. So, Sam's first Christmas was crowded and busy. It was colorful and bright. It was filled with people who loved him completely."

"That's what Christmas should be," Nathan said as he plugged one strand of lights into another. "It's supposed to be about family and being together."

"Christmas with Dan?"

"Not like that. It got better when we started spending it with Karen and Keith. That was a lot of fun. It sounds like what your Christmas was like, except with less people."

"I'm sorry it wasn't like that growing up." Haley had begun wrapping another strand of lights around the tree. "How's it going sorting those ornaments, Sam?"

"I have the heavy ones on this side and the other ones on this side and the ones I like best over here," he pointed.

"Okay," Haley laughed a little, "we'll get started putting them up soon. Mommy and daddy are almost done with the lights."

"Are there a lot?"

"There are a lot of lights, Sam," Nathan told him. "If it was outside, you could probably see it from outer space."

"Cool!"

"You know, I have a feeling that this is going to be the best Christmas I've ever had," Nathan told them both.

Haley circumnavigated the tree and came to stand in front of Nathan. She leaned up and kissed him. "I'm glad. I'm sure this is going to be a great Christmas. It's going to be our first as a family."

"It's a pretty great family, isn't it?"

"It is."

"Are we going to have mistletoe?" Nathan had a smirk on his face. Haley loved that smirk. It was so confident and so Nathan.

"It's poisonous," she explained.

"It is?

"It is."

"Bummer."

"You know, you don't need an excuse to kiss me."

"That's true. You are my fiancée. I can kiss you whenever I feel like it, can't I?"

"You can. You'd better," she winked at him before turning to the task at hand.

Nathan met Haley on the other side of the tree. They were out of Sam's view. Nathan grabbed her and pulled her to him, crashing his lips onto hers. His tongue delved into her mouth as his hand held her head to his. He felt her melt into him. She was responding to the kiss with fervor. Nathan pulled away and noticed that her eyes were still closed and her mouth slightly open.

Haley slowly opened her eyes. She hadn't expected him to kiss her and she hadn't expected him to kiss her like that. She licked her lips.

"I felt like kissing you," he explained, a smile on his face.

"You sure did," she agreed.

"God, I love you," he told her.

"I love you too. But, before we get carried away, we have to get this tree decorated before it gets too late for Sam."

He could have kissed Haley a lot longer. He had, during the day, when they had their quickie. He loved that he couldn't stop kissing her. She was intoxicating.

As soon as Nathan and Haley were done with the lights, the three of them began attaching ornaments to the tree. Nathan loved watching Sam and Haley together. He always had. Their closeness was obvious. Haley patiently helped Sam place ornaments on the best branches of their tree. For the taller branches, Haley would hang them for him. Nathan almost felt like he was intruding, but nothing Haley or Sam would have said or done would have made him feel that way. They included him in everything as if he had always been there.

Nathan looked at the mantle above the fire place. He had asked Haley about the fireplace once. It looked as if she used it often. It wasn't needed in Southern California, but Haley felt that having it made it feel more like home. Now, hanging from the mantle were three stockings. Haley's and Sam's hung, but next to theirs was a new one. Nathan didn't even know when Haley got it. His own stocking. This one had been picked out just for him. It had been picked out by someone who loved him. She and Sam had decorated it themselves. It had his name on it. The stockings on the mantle were for a family. Nathan had never really felt part of one until Haley and Sam.

As they continued placing ornaments on the tree, Nathan would occasionally ask questions about the ornaments. Some had stories. Haley bought Sam a new ornament every Christmas. Sam was extremely proud of his collection. Every year, on Christmas morning, he would open up a new one. It always had his name on it somewhere with the year that Haley got it for him. Nathan thought it was a great tradition and he hoped that someday when he and Haley had more kids they could continue that tradition.

Haley and Sam had a star for the top of the tree. The tree was taller than both of them. Haley was about to hand it to Nathan to place on the top when he had an idea. He picked Sam up and placed the boy on his shoulders. Haley handed Sam the star with a smile. Sam leaned in with Nathan holding onto him tightly. Proudly, he placed the star on the top of the tree.

The three of them stood back, admiring the job they had done. The tree was bright with hundreds of multi-colored lights strung around it. The lights bounced off of the silver garland, adding to the tree's appeal. Throughout the branches were the ornaments that Sam and Haley had collected throughout the years.

"Thank you for this," Nathan said, squeezing Haley's hand.

"You don't have to thank me. You belong here, Nathan. This is your family too. So, thank you for being part of our family."

Nathan kissed Haley on the temple. "I think it's bed time," he told Sam.

"I think it is," Haley agreed.

"Do I have to?"

"You want Santa to visit, right?" Now that Christmas was coming, Haley could use that when she was trying to get Sam to sleep. "He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he knows when you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake," she sang.

"Okay, off to bed, buddy," Nathan picked Sam up and carried him upstairs. Haley followed and the two took care of getting Sam to bed. Since Nathan and Haley had become engaged, they both were there at night with Sam. They took turns reading him his story, but it was always the two of them there.

* * *

"You give me good days," Nathan said as he and Haley settled into their bed for the night.

"What do you mean?" She snuggled close to him. It was how she fell asleep best.

"I go to bed every night thinking about how I had a good day. A great day. You give that to me."

"You give me a great life," she said. "And you gave my son a father."

"I love you, Hales."

"I love you, Nathan."

* * *

**Note:** A very crowded James Scott Christmas is coming! Thank you again for your reviews!


	49. Chapter FortyEight

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** I'm going to try to get another chapter up by the end of the week. Try. I really want to, but we'll see about time. Thank you for reading and for your reviews! Who knows, maybe by the time I finish this we'll have an even 1,000.

* * *

Nathan tried to shake the rain off of himself as he got out of the car after pulling into the garage. It was pouring out. He couldn't remember it ever raining this much in Los Angeles. The news was referring to it as a deluge. It had been crazy out on the streets. Nathan had seen several near miss accidents happen. He drove very carefully. He felt he had reached his quota for car accidents for a long time. He had to go out. He had to get one last gift for Sam before their families began to arrive the next day. The stores had been a mess. Nathan had just managed to navigate the aisles and find just what Sam had put on his Christmas list. He left the store feeling a great deal of relief and drove home carefully.

Haley was there waiting for him. She was taking the day off to finish getting the house ready. With Christmas less than a week away there wasn't much work for her to do anyway. She had completed her album a week earlier. It only needed a few finishing touches. They had sent their other artists on break until after the New Year. There just really wasn't much for them to do but relax and enjoy their first Christmas as a family.

Haley had even had time to release three Christmas songs for free for her fans to download on her website. Nathan had promptly downloaded them and put them on his MP3 player. He had been playing them on a loop since he'd left the house. He was proud of her; he couldn't help it.

Nathan removed his jacket and draped it over a shelf in the garage. He didn't want to bring water in the house. Haley had worked hard getting it cleaned for their guests. He also kicked his shoes off, leaving them by the door. He walked into the house with Sam's new video game and special controller tucked under his arm.

"Haley," he called out. He was sure that she would want to wrap the gift as quickly as possible and get it under the tree. She explained to him that she once tried hiding the gifts until she had time to wrap them all, but when Sam was old enough he began actively searching for his presents. She learned that it was best to just wrap them immediately and place them under the tree. He had laughed when Brooke and Peyton reminded Haley that she was the same way with presents. He wondered if she had searched for his gift for her. He had hidden it at Lucas's house until getting it wrapped and putting it under the tree. He was sure that he once found her after she had been shaking it, trying to figure out what it was.

"I'm up here," she answered.

Nathan walked up to their bedroom. He found her sitting on their bed with a large envelope in front of her. She had her legs crossed, her feet were bare, and she was in jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt. Her hair was down, beneath her shoulders. She was staring intently at the envelope.

Nathan set Sam's gift on the dresser and went over to the bed.

"What is that?"

Haley put her hand to her mouth and looked at him; her eyes were glistening with tears that had yet to fall.

"What's wrong, Hales?" Nathan sat on the bed in front of her.

"My attorney called," she explained.

Realization dawned on Nathan. There was only one reason he could think of why her attorney would be calling and why there would be an envelope sitting in front of Haley now. Nathan reached out to touch it, but retracted his hand.

"Hales, are those…? I mean… Well, they're-"

"The papers," she finished for him. "They're the adoption papers. She dropped them off about fifteen minutes ago. I've been sitting here staring at the envelope ever since."

Nathan picked up the envelope and held it lightly in his hand. He looked at Haley and again noticed the tears.

"Do you want this, Haley?" They had discussed it. Everything in the past month and a half told him that Haley wanted him to be Sam's father. She had told him that she wanted him to be Sam's father. Haley wouldn't lie to him. But, she was sitting here about to cry.

Haley quickly lifted her eyes to meet Nathan's. "You're his father, Nathan."

Nathan nodded. "Okay. It's just, you're crying. Or you're about to cry."

"I'm just a little emotional," she shrugged her shoulders. "It's just… I never really thought he'd have a father. Then you came into the picture. You came into the picture and you swept us both off of our feet and we haven't been back on the ground since. I was just thinking about the fact that we met that night. We met and I liked you."

"You did?"

"I did. I just didn't trust you. You were from North Carolina, Nathan. What would have happened? We would have spent one night together and that would have been the end of it. That wasn't who I was. It's not who I am. But it still feels like we were supposed to meet so we could meet again. I met you the night that Sam was conceived and you ended up becoming his father. It's a lot to process. But I couldn't be happier that this is happening."

Nathan didn't know what to say.

Before he could think of anything to say, she continued, "Sharing Sam, this has been a big deal for me. It isn't something that I ever really thought about. But you came into our lives and into his life so seamlessly. It doesn't even feel like I'm sharing him. It feels like he's your son. If our son turns out to be a man like you, then I'm going to be a very happy mother."

Finishing, Haley took the envelope and began taking the papers out. She stood up and walked to the dresser after taking a pen from the night stand. She flipped the pages until she got to the page her attorney had marked for her. An arrow indicated where she needed to sign.

Haley looked to her side. Nathan had joined her there. He looked down at the papers. His name was on them. Nathan Royal Scott. Directly above that was a space for him to sign his name. He watched as Haley brought the pen to the papers. Before she could sign her name, he grabbed her hand.

"Wait," he said. He let go of her hand when she turned to look at him.

"What?"

"I think we should wait. Just until we pick up Sam. I think he should be here when we sign these."

Haley leaned up and took his face in her hands. She kissed him, at first softly. When he wrapped his arms around her waist, she intensified the kiss. "I'm so glad you're his father," she told him.

"Me too. Someday I want to give him little brothers and sisters."

"Someday," Haley agreed.

Nathan kissed his way down her neck. He began sucking on her collarbone, having moved her shirt aside. He knew she would blush when she saw the mark he was leaving. She often did. Once, she told him that it was like he was marking her as his. In a way, he was. She didn't really mind it. She felt like his. She also loved the feeling of him sucking on her skin. She threw her head back as her hand reached the back of his head. A small moan escaped her lips.

Haley pulled back and looked at him. His eyes were a darker blue and filled with lust. She knew that look. She knew that a similar one was in her own eyes. She began working on the buttons of his shirt, wanting to get it off of him and feel his skin. As soon as it was unbuttoned, she pushed it off of his shoulders.

Before Haley could kiss him again Nathan reached for the bottom of her shirt. He pulled it off of her quickly, tossing it aside. He moved her bra strap off of her shoulder and began kissing the exposed skin. Her blush had reached her shoulders. He thought that her blush was so sexy. Her skin was warm and soft and she was leaning into him. She wanted him.

Haley felt the contours of his abs. The feeling of her fingers on his skin spurred him on. He pulled her other bra strap down before reaching for the clasp and letting the garment fall to the floor. Instead of looking at her, he pulled her closer. He wanted to feel her against his skin. He couldn't get enough of her skin.

"I want you," she moaned. "I want you so much." She began unbuckling his belt and began working to get his pants off. He stepped out of them. She could tell how much he wanted her. She could feel it even before he took his pants off.

The two were soon wearing nothing. They were standing in the middle of their bedroom, entangled in each other's arms. Haley tried leaning up further on her tiptoes to kiss him more.

"Nathan," she moaned.

Nathan grabbed her hips and lifted her up. Haley instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. He walked them to the wall next to the dresser. Haley's back was pressed against the wall and she wrapped her legs around his waist tighter. She could feel his erection throbbing and she wanted nothing more than for it to be inside of her.

Haley lifted herself a little from his grasp. Nathan could tell what she wanted. "Bed?"

"Here," she said. "Now."

Nathan brought her down on his erection. They both sighed at the relief they felt in being joined together. Haley attacked his lips, nipping at his lower lip as she kissed him. They soon began moving. Nathan pounded into her. Her back hit the wall. She had one arm under Nathan's armpit, grabbing onto his shoulder for support. Her other hand reached out, grabbing for the dresser. She needed something to grab onto.

Haley met him thrust for thrust. Nathan held onto her tightly. One hand cupped her breast, tweaking the nipple, and causing her to moan loudly.

"I want to hear you," he grunted. As he said it, he thrust into her hard and fast. She screamed his name. She knew that if she were standing she would be on the floor. Her knees would have given out and her legs would have turned to jelly. She couldn't begin to describe the pleasure she was getting from him. She clenched her inner walls around his hardness and he groaned.

"I love you," he told her.

"I love you too. I'm close, Nathan."

"I know." He could feel her. Her pace was become more erratic. She threw her head back, not noticing that it hit the wall. The pleasure was too great. To help send her over the edge, Nathan removed his hand from her breast and brought it lower and lower. He began massaging her clit as he moved inside her. That did it. Haley came hard and fast and loud. She cried out his name as her body went limp in his arms. A few thrusts later and Nathan came too. He leaned his head on her shoulder as their sweat slicked bodies recovered.

Without putting her down, Nathan carried Haley to their bed and gently set her on top of the covers. He grabbed the blanket that was at the edge of the bed and covered them both with it up to their waists.

"Are you cold?"

"Not when you're holding me," she answered. She snuggled closer to him.

"So, I guess we're getting lots of practice in for when we do decide to have more kids."

"I think we're getting pretty good at it."

"We're great at it," he agreed. He ran his fingers down her arm, sending shivers through her body. "That was… great. And new. You've never… I mean, well… It's always been in the bed."

"I know. I just wanted you." She thought about how they'd made love. It had always been in a bed until now. The thought of Nathan taking her right then against the wall excited her. It had turned her on even further. She wanted to try something new and she wanted it with Nathan.

Nathan looked at her and tried to see if anything was wrong. He wasn't sure if he should bring it up, especially with their current state. He had to do it. "Hales, it's today. Six years ago today."

She unconsciously hugged him tighter. "I know," she said in what was almost a whisper.

"Did you… I mean, was that maybe why this happened?"

"No," she quickly answered. "Honestly, I thought about it a little bit this morning. Then, when the papers got here, I just forgot about it until now. I told you. When I'm with you, I think about less and less. Making love to you and making love to you like that, it's always been all about you and us. It always will be all about you and us."

"I love you. You'd tell me if it was bothering you?"

"I promise. Is your knee okay?"

"My knee is fine. I wanted you too. Whenever you want me, anywhere," he smirked.

"I'll keep that in mind," she smiled. She turned and looked at the nightstand.

"What are you looking for?"

"I thought I had some water up here." She started getting up, but he stopped her.

"I'll get it," he offered.

"You're sure?"

"Yeah." Nathan kissed her quickly before getting up and looking for his boxers. Slipping them back on, he smiled at her before leaving the room.

Haley watched as he left. His hair was in different directions from where she'd grabbed it. She brought the blanket up to her chest. Now that he was gone, she was a little cold. She lay back on the pillows to wait for him. She could see the adoption papers sitting on the dresser waiting to be signed.

She hadn't expected the onslaught of emotions that she had at seeing them. She had thought a lot about the fact that Sam now had a father. She couldn't thank Nathan enough for that and she knew she didn't have to. When he said that he wanted to wait to sign them when Sam was there is what did it for her. She couldn't help herself. She wanted to make love to him right then and there.

Nathan was walking from the kitchen, glass of water in hand, when he heard the front door open. He strained to hear who it was. He walked toward the foyer of the house, his bare feet cold on the wood floors. He was shocked to see a group of people standing there. They looked just as shocked as he was.

"Uh. What are you guys doing here?"

Brooke and Peyton stood with amused expressions on their faces while Jimmy and Lydia James looked awkwardly. Standing next to Jimmy and Lydia was a woman that Nathan recognized as Haley's sister Taylor. He knew she would be coming in with Jimmy and Lydia.

"You were coming in tomorrow, right?" Nathan shifted on his feet. He was very aware of the fact that he was standing in front of Haley's family in his boxers and nothing else.

"It's nice to see you too, Nathan," Jimmy greeted him.

"Almost all of you," Taylor quipped.

"Uh…," Nathan wasn't sure what to say.

"We wanted to surprise you two," Lydia explained. "It looks like it worked!"

"We were thinking it might be nice to have dinner before everyone gets here," Jimmy added.

"Did you forget that I'm completely naked and waiting for you up here?" Haley's voice carried through the house and every head turned toward the stairs. After a few seconds, everyone burst out laughing. Everyone except for Nathan and Jimmy. He winced. It was one thing for his in-laws to see him walking around the house in his boxers. It was something else for them to know that Haley was naked and waiting for him. It wouldn't take a genius for them to figure out what they had been up to.

"I'm just gonna," Nathan didn't finish before making his way back up stairs.

Haley had heard the laughter. Her eyes went wide with shock. She recovered enough to jump out of bed and scramble to get her clothes back on. It took her a minute to find where Nathan had thrown her bra. She had heard laughter. That had to mean that people were in the house.

Nathan came back in and closed the door behind him.

"Nathan, who's in the house?"

He remained silent as he watched her getting dressed.

"Nathan."

"Your mom and dad. And Taylor. And Brooke and Peyton."

"They weren't supposed to come until tomorrow!"

"I know." Nathan was now collecting his own clothes to put them back on. He was pulling up his pants when he said, "They wanted to surprise us."

"They've got great timing. They heard me yell that I was naked, didn't they?'

Nathan hesitated to answer, then nodded his head.

"Oh, God." Haley hid her face in her hands as she sat on the edge of the bed. "This would be a good time for the ground to open and swallow me up."

Nathan, now fully dressed, took a seat next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "At least they didn't walk in ten minutes earlier when you were screaming my name."

Haley lifted her head and glared at him. Realizing he was right, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Guess we'd better get this over with," she said.

Nathan took Haley's hand as they left their room and went to join their guests. They found them in the living room. Everyone was making themselves comfortable. Peyton and Brook had taken care of getting everyone something to drink.

Taylor was the first one to notice them and let out a cat call when she saw her sister. Haley immediately blushed, but didn't let go of Nathan's hand. She didn't let go until her parents came forward and each took turns hugging her.

Taylor hugged her as well, whispering in her ear, "We're definitely talking about this later."

Nathan couldn't look Jimmy James in the eye. He knew that Haley's parents liked him. They were glad that he was in Haley's life. That didn't stop this from being embarrassing. Nathan wondered how Haley was handling it. Now that she wasn't hugging her family, she was back to holding his hand. They took seats on the sofa so they all could visit.

"Where is Sam?" Lydia looked around, but she knew her grandson wasn't there. Given her daughter's previous state, she was sure of it.

"He's with his friend Andre," Nathan answered. "We were going to pick him up in an hour."

"Well, what do you all say to dinner tonight? Unless you have plans," Jimmy said.

"I told them surprising you was a bad idea," Taylor threw in.

"Uh, no, we didn't really have plans," Nathan replied.

"Dinner would be great," Haley added. "We'll just pick Sam up when he's ready. We have something the three of us need to do before that," Haley said, remembering the adoption papers that were upstairs. She and Nathan shared a quick smile before turning their attention back to her family.

"Well, uh, Nathan, this is my sister, Taylor. Tay, this is Nathan. My fiancé."

"It's nice to meet you," Nathan stood and went to shake Taylor's hand. She took it flippantly and looked him up and down.

"I liked your earlier look better."

Knowing how Taylor and Haley had a tendency to rub each other the wrong way, Lydia tried to change the subject. "Now, will Lucas and Julian be joining us for dinner?"

"That would be great. Why don't you two give them a call?" Jimmy knew what his wife was doing and helped her.

Haley rolled her eyes at Taylor. She was the only one of her sisters who hadn't been that receptive of her relationship with Nathan. Haley hadn't expected it. She knew Taylor. Taylor didn't take very much seriously. She was impulsive and didn't think before she spoke or acted. Haley could only think of one time when Taylor and her had had a serious conversation. That was when she was pregnant. In a way, Haley was glad that Taylor had gone back to normal. She knew that Taylor loved her. She was just glad that Taylor wasn't trying to treat her any differently. It made healing just a little bit easier. She didn't want anyone treating her differently. She was grateful to Taylor for that.

* * *

"We have some surprises for you at home," Nathan told Sam. The three of them were now in the car driving Sam home from Andre's. They hadn't told him that her parents were there, or that the adoption papers had arrived.

"Is there ice cream?"

Nathan and Haley laughed. For Sam, ice cream was a good surprise. Things were so simple for a kid.

"I think it's a little better than ice cream," Haley commented.

As they pulled up to their house, Sam instantly recognized the RV parked in front.

"Grandma and grandpa are here!" He couldn't wait to get into the house now.

"That's right. They brought Aunt Taylor with them. We're all going out to dinner tonight," Haley informed him.

They made quick work of getting Sam out of the car. Nathan hoisted his small backpack onto his shoulder as Sam removed his shoes. He left them by the door by Nathan's before running into the house and shouting for his grandparents.

By the time Nathan and Haley made it back into the house, Sam was being held by Jimmy and had Lydia and Jimmy's undivided attention on him. He was telling them all about his day with Andre.

Nathan leaned in and whispered to Haley, "I'm not trying to rush this, but since we have company now…"

"Yeah. Why don't you get them and we'll meet you in the other room?"

"Just the three of us?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "This is about us. We'll tell them after it's done."

Brooke eyed the couple suspiciously. "What's going on?"

"Um, can you guys give us a few minutes? We'll tell you what's going on in a minute. The three of us need to do something," Haley said. "Sam, I need you to come with me for a few minutes."

Nathan had already gone upstairs to retrieve the papers. Haley figured he must have taken the stairs two at a time, because he was with them in the den in no time at all. He held the papers in his hand and looked at Sam.

Haley nodded and they all sat. Nathan set the papers on the table in front of them and set a pen next to them.

"Sam, sweetie, remember how we told you that we needed to sign some papers so that Nathan would officially be your daddy and we'd have a piece of paper that said so?" When Sam nodded Haley continued. "Well, mommy's lawyer Diane brought the papers by today. So, we thought we'd sign them with you here."

"And then we're a family?"

"We're already a family," Nathan said. "This just means that everyone knows it. Everyone."

"So, are you ready for us to sign these?" Haley took them from the envelope. She flipped to the page where the tabs were.

"Do I have to write my name?" Sam looked at his parents.

"No, buddy. Just me and your mom."

"How come I don't write my name?"

"You're too young. Since you're still a kid, mommy signs for you. After we sign these, then daddy can sign for you." Sometimes Haley still had to remind herself that Sam was calling Nathan his daddy. She used to refer to him as Nathan when talking about him to Sam. Now, she was saying daddy. It was getting easier and easier.

Nathan handed the pen to Haley, letting her go first. She took the cap off of the pen and carefully signed her name. Haley Bob James. Her signature was neat and tidy. Her smile was ear to ear as she handed the pen to Nathan. Without hesitating, he scrawled his name on the paper. That was it. It was done. Haley's attorney would submit the papers, but it was basically done. Nathan had officially adopted Sam.

Nathan gently placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. When Sam looked up at him, his smile reaching his eyes, Nathan pulled him into a hug. "I love you," he told Sam.

"I love you too, daddy."

Haley watched the two most important people in her life hugging. It was completely right. She wiped the tear falling down her cheek. Nathan pulled Haley into the hug with Sam. The three of them embraced for a few minutes. Sam didn't seem to fully understand why his parents were so emotional. Someday he would. Now he was only five years-old. All he understood was that he had a mommy and a daddy who loved him.

"I'll leave a message for Diane so she can pick these up tomorrow. Then we'll go share the news," Haley suggested.

"Sounds great."

They found five expectant faces looking at them when they walked back in the living room. Nathan was carrying Sam and all three of them were smiling. Haley held the papers. She wanted to put them in her safe until her attorney came by the next day.

"You three look happy," Jimmy observed.

"Go ahead," Nathan told Haley.

"We just signed the adoption papers," Haley told everyone.

Brooke squealed and ran to her best friend. Unable to control her excitement, she threw her arms around Haley and hugged her.

"I can't breathe, Brooke."

"Sorry! I'm just so excited for you guys! Congratulations! Well, we're definitely going out. P. Sawyer and me called Lucas and Julian, so they're on their way so we can go have dinner. We should totally go to that fancy place on Beverley. The one with that one chef that I saw featured in Vanity Fair. Oh, we might need a reservation. Oh, who cares. I'm sure they'll give us a table."

"Brooke, slow down," Peyton chuckled.

"We're doing low key, not fancy," Haley informed Brooke.

"Spoil my fun," Brooke pouted.

"Nathan," Jimmy James stepped forward. He extended his hand, which Nathan took. Words weren't needed. There was an understanding between the two men. When they finished shaking hands, Lydia enveloped Nathan is a warm hug. "You already take such good care of them."

"I always will," he replied.

* * *

**Note:** Again, thank you for reading and reviewing! Hope you enjoyed that chapter. :)


	50. Chapter FortyNine

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Notes:** I got this up much quicker than I thought I would. I hope you guys like it. I have a feeling you won't like Taylor after this. Anyway, thank you for reading and reviewing!

* * *

Rachel Gatina stared at the email in front of her. She couldn't believe this. This was absolutely ridiculous. Rachel had assets and she wasn't afraid to use them. She definitely wasn't shy about using them. They got her things she wanted. In this line of work it was usually information. Sometimes, that information was infuriating.

Looking through her mail, she noticed that she had the same thing from several other contacts. Each had the same story that they would be publishing within a few days. People always wanted a scandal and this would give them one. Scandal was good in Rachel's business. The more dirty laundry that was aired, the more hits her website got. This wasn't like that. This was something else. It was also something that Rachel could do something about.

She dialed a familiar number. She needed to find some answers before she pursued this.

* * *

Haley knocked on the familiar door. She had large sunglasses on her face and a fashionable fedora on her head. A scarf was wrapped around her neck. She was almost unrecognizable. She had been careful about that for months now. She hadn't come here as much as she used to, but sometimes she just needed to talk to someone.

There were no group sessions today. She didn't want a group session. She wanted to talk to Viv one on one.

"Haley James." The older woman was surprised to see Haley standing in the doorway of her office. "It's been a while. Come in. How are you?"

Haley removed her sunglasses and sat in the chair in Viv's office. "I've been good. I've been really good. I'm getting married."

"I heard about that. It's nice to hear that things are going well between you two. Is there something specific you wanted to talk about? You haven't been to group in a while."

"I know. I know. I just don't feel like I should be there."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't feel like I need a lot of help these days. Sometimes I know I need to talk about it. Some days more than others. But I feel like if I come, I'll be taking time away from women who need it more."

"You could come just to listen," Viv suggested.

Haley nodded. "I know."

"So, today?"

Haley inhaled and then exhaled. "As of yesterday, it's been six years since I was raped. It feels like a lifetime ago. So much has changed, Viv. I never considered doing something for myself and in the past year, I've really rethought that. I fell in love, I'm getting married. I thought all of that had been taken from me when I was raped, but I was wrong.

"Six years ago yesterday, my son was conceived. He never had a father. The thought that the person who raped me was my son's father never occurred to me. But yesterday, he got a father. Officially, acknowledged by the government, legally. Yesterday, we signed papers so that Nathan could adopt Sam.

"We have talked about it. When Nathan proposed, we talked about it with Sam and he said he wanted Nathan to be his father. We didn't plan on signing the papers yesterday. It was just some random twist of fate that they arrived on that day of all days."

"How do you feel about that?"

"It feels right. Did I ever tell you that I met Nathan that night?"

"No. You didn't."

"I did. Just a few minutes before I was raped. He started flirting with me. I turned him down even though I thought he was cute. And then, you know…"

"You were raped."

"Yeah. I liked him. I said no because nothing would have come from it. I was at school in Palo Alto and he was in school in North Carolina. It would have never worked. But, if I had said yes… I don't like thinking about that because then I wouldn't have Sam. I love Sam more than I ever thought I was capable of. I don't regret anything about him and it took me a long time to admit that because that meant that, in a way, I was saying that I didn't regret being raped. But something beautiful came out of it.

"My best friend's suggested the middle name Nathan for Sam. When I heard it, I thought about him. I thought about what he represented. He was a path that I could have taken and my entire life would have been different. I guess that's why I liked that name for him. It's a little twisted."

"Is it?"

"If I had chosen Nathan that night, I wouldn't have Sam. But, I thought about how carefree and happy Nathan seemed that night. I wanted that for my son. He's going to have to deal with something huge once he's old enough to know. I thought about how I want him to feel happy and carefree. Just like Nathan was that night."

"I think every mother wants that. You're happy now?"

"I feel more healed than I ever thought I would be. I have never been this happy before. Not even before the rape."

* * *

Haley was standing in the middle of their living room. Her gaze wandered from corner to corner. She was trying to see if she missed anything. Gifts were all wrapped and under the tree, ready to be opened in a few days time. There wasn't a speck of dust in the house. Haley had made sure of that. She had been baking for several days now and there were treats ready to be consumed by her guests. She would be making more tomorrow with some of her guests.

They were all due in a few hours. They would be pouring in in a steady stream. Haley had provided them all with directions to Nathan's old house. Her brothers and sisters and Nathan's family would all be renting their own cars. Ned and his family had managed to catch a connecting flight with Seth and Hugh. The contingent from Tree Hill was also all coming together. With the exception of Keith, Karen, and Lily, they would all be staying in Nathan's old house. Keith, Karen, and Lily would be staying with Lucas.

Haley had spent the better part of dinner the previous night trying to dodge Taylor. She loved her sister; she really did. But every time Taylor looked at her, she had this mischievous glint in her eye. Haley knew what it was about. When they had gotten there, Haley and Nathan had just finished making love. Now, her parents, best friends, and sister knew about it. Haley realized that her sisters would be curious. This was a big step for Haley. They would want to talk about it. Haley wanted to avoid that talk until the last possible moment.

Haley gave the living room a satisfied nod before walking back into the kitchen. Eli and his family would be the first to arrive and they were due in about half an hour. He had already texted her to tell her that the plane had landed. Haley was going to make them all lunch.

She was busy in the kitchen when she heard a knock on the door. Lunch was almost done. She was sure that her brother and his family would be starving.

She got to the door and found her big brother, Eli, standing there with his wife Ellen and their two kids, Jenny and Cameron with them. Jenny and Cameron were twins and about a year younger than Sam. Haley had been the first of the James kids to have a baby. It seemed that almost immediately after she had gotten pregnant, Eli and his wife had gotten pregnant. Not long after Eli and Ellen, Ned and Kate, as well as Vivian and Alex were expecting. Within less than two years, Jimmy and Lydia James had five grandchildren.

Hugs were exchanged between them all. Haley ushered them into the house and invited them all to have a seat in the living room.

"Lunch will be ready soon. Nathan and Sam should be back any minute now. So should mom, dad, and Taylor."

"So, they surprised you yesterday, huh?" Eli had heard all about it from a text from his father.

"Yeah, they uh, they definitely did." Haley decided to stop there. They didn't need any more details than that.

"Happiness looks great on you, Haley Bob." Eli could notice it immediately when he first saw her. She looked like she had some sort of inner peace. Eli hadn't been one to put much stock in that sort of thing, but seeing his sister now, he couldn't help but believe a little bit more.

"Hales!" Everyone in the living room turned their attention. Nathan and Sam had walked in. Each was carrying a bag of groceries, which they left in the kitchen before heading to the living room.

"Hi, Uncle Eli!" Sam ran into the room and sat next to his younger cousins.

Haley looked at Nathan. Along with his jeans and light blue hoodie, he was wearing a Santa Claus hat. He hadn't been wearing it when he left the house that morning. She stood up and kissed him in greeting. "What's with the hat?"

"We saw it at the store and I said daddy should get it," Sam explained.

"Well, it looks good on you," Haley told him. "Nathan, this is my brother Eli and Ellen, his wife. And those two there, that's Jenny and that's Cameron."

Eli got up and took Nathan's hand in a firm grip, shaking it. Ellen was a bit nicer, hugging Nathan quickly.

"It's nice to meet you," she said.

Nathan could see Eli looking him up and down, taking him in, appraising him. "So, you're gonna marry her."

"Eli," Haley warned.

"Yeah, I'm gonna marry her." Nathan could understand what Eli was doing. He knew exactly why her siblings were so protective over her. Even without her past, she was still the baby of the family. "How was your flight in?"

"Oh, it was smooth. Thanks for asking," Ellen interrupted. She'd told her husband to take it easy with his sister's fiancé. She told Eli that he should trust Haley's judgment. Ned, Vivian, and Seth had all already met Nathan and had approved of him. That didn't stop Eli from being protective and Ellen understood that completely. His protective side was one of the things that she loved most about him.

"Whatever you made smells good, Hales." Nathan smiled at her.

"You say that almost every time I cook," she pointed out.

"Well, it's true."

"I'm sure you guys didn't eat that plane food. Why don't we head into the dining room," Haley suggested.

* * *

By the next day, everyone had arrived. Since there were still a few days before Christmas, people had gone their separate ways. Keith, Karen, and Lily had decided to head to the beach. Nathan and Sam had taken Jimmy, Royal, Ned, Kate, Eli, Ellen, Seth, Hugh, Alex, David, and the kids on a tour of the Staples Center. Nathan wasn't playing, but he could still call in a few favors. He was surprised when Ellen and Kate had asked to come along. Apparently, the two women were both pretty big basketball fans and were looking forward to getting a tour of the arena.

That left a girl's day at Haley's house. Haley, Brooke, Peyton, Lydia, Deb, Mae, Vivian, Quinn, and Taylor were all crowded in the living room drinking coffee and getting to know each other. Deb, Lydia, and Mae had clicked immediately. Haley thought they were almost as bad as Brooke was with their wedding plan talk. Mae and Deb were excited to learn which spot Nathan and Haley had chosen for their wedding and were excitedly telling everyone all about it.

They had even begun discussing who would stay where when the entire James clan made their way to Tree Hill. Despite their large families, specifically Haley's, the wedding was going to be small. They were keeping their guest list at less than fifty. Deb was telling them the best inns they could stay at. She also apologized for not having enough room for everyone.

Among the many suggestions being thrown at Haley was Deb's for her to stay at the beach house the night before the wedding. That way Nathan wouldn't be able to see her before the wedding. Haley hated the idea of not seeing Nathan, but she understood the tradition. She wanted those traditions. It would be the only time she would be getting married and she wanted the entire experience.

Brooke objected to this plan. She was going to be in charge of getting Haley ready for the wedding and she wanted full access to her best friend. Finding this out, Deb agreed that Brooke and Peyton would also be staying at the beach house. She continued to apologize for not having enough room for everyone else. She would be having four extra house guests since Sam would, of course, be with Haley.

Their conversation was interrupted when Haley heard the doorbell. She excused herself and went to answer it. To her surprise, Rachel was standing at the door.

"How do you know where I live?" That was the first thing that came to mind when Haley saw her. She recovered quickly. "I'm sorry. Hi, Rachel. What, uh, what are you doing here?"

"Sorry, I did some digging and found your address. I need to talk to you. Do you have a minute?"

Haley looked back toward the living room where her guests were gathered.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important," Rachel added.

"Okay. Come on in." Haley led Rachel to the kitchen, away from the guests.

"Nice house. It's very you." Rachel had noticed the pictures on the walls as she walked in. She noticed how low key the house was and how quiet. It was definitely the kind of house Haley would live in.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk about?" Haley was on guard. She had a feeling that whatever Rachel was here for couldn't be good. Rachel looked grave. The last time Haley had seen a look on her face even remotely similar was the night she came back to the apartment in Palo Alto after overdosing.

Rachel lowered her voice. She could tell that Haley had company. The sound of the women in the other room talking and laughing filtered into the kitchen. Rachel found herself moving toward the corner of the kitchen. She wanted a little more privacy.

"I was checking my email a couple of days ago and I got a tip that a few of the tabloids would be printing a story about you in two days."

Haley braced herself. She had been careful to keep her secret. How could anyone have found out? She decided to stay calm. "Rachel, they print stories about me on a regular basis."

"This one is worthy of a cover. And not about you and Nathan. Some guy sold a story to three of the rags. He's saying that the two of you had a one night stand while you were at Stanford and that he got you pregnant. He's claiming that he signed away his paternal rights and that was it. He's saying that he's rethinking it and wants to be a part of his son's life."

"He's lying," Haley immediately said.

"I know that. Everyone knows it. In a way. He can't prove it. He's a wannabe actor, Haley. He's done a few commercials, a few direct-to-video parts. I think he played a dead body on some CW show or something. He figures he gets his story out, you prove him wrong, then he can get some publicity and get more roles. Like it'll be his big break or something."

"He's messing with my son," Haley spewed. She was angry. People bought those magazines. They read them and they talked about them. Often, their children heard them talking about them and they would repeat the stories at school. Sam could hear them. He'd just gotten a dad. Nathan was the only dad he was ever going to know. He didn't need some lying low-rate actor using him to get ahead.

Rachel was watching the emotions fly across Haley's face. She was glad that Haley was angry. Rachel hadn't ever seen Haley truly angry, but she had seen Haley when she was being fiercely protective over her son. She was seeing it again. This time, that protectiveness was increased. Rachel figured it must be because she knew deep down that Rachel would have never revealed the information about Haley's rape and how Sam was conceived. Haley didn't know that about this person and his claims.

"I have a plan," Rachel said.

Haley looked at her, but didn't say anything.

Rachel continued, "We can't stop the magazines from publishing, but we can beat them to the punch. The story may leak before they publish, so the sooner we make a decision the better."

"We?"

"Yeah. I'm involved in this plan. I don't believe in using a little boy to get a few parts in some crappy movies, Haley."

"I have a feeling that whatever your plan is, it will increase the hits on your website."

"It will," Rachel shrugged. "But, it'll also help you. Let me post. Let me say that you know the story is coming out and that it isn't true. It's a small message, but people like you and believe you. They think you're a saint, basically. As soon as you give me the word, I'll post. We'll kill the story before it comes out. I'll write what I know about him and his so-called acting career.

"I also did a little research and found out that six years-ago he was in Missouri, so he couldn't have been in Palo Alto. It'll completely kill his credibility and it'll protect Sam. He'll look like a total jackass for trying to mess with a five year-old."

Haley breathed in, then exhaled. "I need to think, Rachel. This is a lot to take in." Haley leaned against the counter, but immediately sprang back up, almost as if the counter had shocked her. She stepped away from it and put her hand over her mouth before she began pacing. "I need to think, Rachel."

"Okay. You have my number. Let me know what you decide. I want to help, Haley. The sooner the better. I'll show myself out."

Rachel left Haley in the kitchen biting down on her lip. Her mind was racing. She knew that Rachel was right. She knew that if she did something quickly, she could stop this from getting too bad. Either way, she was going to have to talk to Sam. She and Nathan both. Knowing that Nathan would be there with her for it gave her extra strength.

"Rachel!" She raised her voice and knew that it was possible that her guests had heard her. She went to the foyer and stopped Rachel at the front door. "Do it. Post it. When you do, let me know. Just post what we talked about. The background information on him, that you know it isn't true. I might… I might put something on my website after that backing you up."

"Okay. You've got it."

"Thank you for coming and telling me, Rachel."

Rachel just nodded. In high school, she had thought Haley was perfect and annoying. Everyone liked her and she was smart and beautiful. Now, she was becoming someone that Rachel realized she had underestimated. She had a chance to think about how she really felt about Haley when she realized she had been raped. She liked Haley. She really did. She wanted to help her.

"You're welcome. Don't worry, this guy's going down. He ought to be beaten for messing with a five year-old."

"Merry Christmas, Rachel," Haley said as she opened the door to let the red-head out.

Haley tried to regain her composure before re-entering the living room. She thought she had managed it as she took back her seat on the sofa next to her mother. She moved closer to Lydia and put her head on her shoulder.

"Did I hear the name Rachel?" Brooke's voice went up a level. She had been civil to Rachel, but she still didn't like the woman. She wasn't as able to forgive as Haley had been.

"Yeah," Haley's answer was brief.

"Wait," Quinn interrupted. "Wasn't that the slutty girl who went to school with you guys? I remember her. She hit on Seth when he came home one Christmas."

"She hits on anything with a penis," Brooke spewed.

Everyone else in the room burst out laughing except for Haley. She laughed without really laughing.

"What's wrong, Haley Bob?" Lydia gave her youngest daughter's shoulders an affectionate squeeze.

"Nothing's wrong. What did I miss?"

Lydia let it go. She could tell her little girl didn't want to talk about it. "Deb was telling us funny stories about that fiancé of yours when he was growing up."

"Turns out he was quite a hell raiser," Vivian added.

Haley chuckled. "I know; I've heard the stories."

"You're lookin' a little off, Hales," Quinn observed. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah."

"No. I know those one word answers. What did Rach-ho do to you?"

"Brooke, it's nothing," Haley said, exasperated. "She just… It's nothing. I'm handling it."

"Oh, you're doing that thing where you don't let people help you. You think you're the only one who can take care of things. Typical," Taylor retorted.

"It's not like that, Tay. And I don't think I can handle everything."

"You're sure you're okay?" Lydia ran her hand over Haley's head comfortingly.

Haley closed her eyes and sighed. They were going to find out anyway. She didn't want to ruin the nice day they were all having, but they weren't going to let this go.

"Some guy, some aspiring actor, sold this story to the tabloids. He's saying he's Sam's biological father so that he gets some publicity to help his career."

"What the hell? Who do I need to hurt?" Brooke's face went red with anger.

"It's being taken care of, Brooke. Rachel's pretty helpful."

"This guy's almost as bad as the scumbag who raped you," Taylor blurted out.

The room went completely silent. If a pin dropped, it would have been heard loud and clear. Everyone in the room looked from Taylor and then Haley and back and forth again. Haley's mouth parted slightly. She looked at Deb and Mae. They didn't know. Haley hadn't planned on telling them.

Taylor realized what she did and her cavalier exterior quickly crumbled. "Oh, God. Haley Bob, I'm sorry. I didn't think."

"Do you ever?" Peyton was angry. What happened to Haley wasn't something to be spoken of lightly.

"I'm sorry. It just came out," Taylor apologized. "It just… it just came out."

"I need a minute with Deb and Mae," Haley said. It wasn't a request.

"Let us know if you need anything," Peyton said. "We'll all be busy beating up Taylor."

When everyone left the room Haley stood up from the sofa and went to the piano. Her fingers lightly grazed the keys, not pressing down on them. No noise came from it.

Both Deb and Mae wanted to do something to soothe Haley. Both had grown to care for her so much and understood that this couldn't be easy for her. Had they heard her sister correctly?

"You both had questions about how I got pregnant with Sam. I know you did," Haley said. "I remember how protective you were over Nathan about that. This… this is the reason no one would tell you the truth."

"Haley," Deb said, "you don't have to say anything. You don't have to do this."

Haley shook her head. "I can't ask the two of you to forget what you heard. It's a big deal. It's a huge deal.

"It, um… What Taylor said… That's what happened. That's how I got pregnant. The night I first met Nathan, actually. Right after. So, that's why Sam hasn't had a father. He never had one. I got pregnant, but to me, he never had a father until Nathan."

"I'm sorry, Haley," Deb couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Haley, can I ask a question?" Mae hadn't spoken until then.

Haley nodded, but wrapped her arms around her.

"Did they catch him?"

Again, Haley nodded. "He died, though. He was supposed to be sentenced and that morning he died. So, he's out of the picture. He was never really in the picture."

"You're…" Mae was treading lightly. "You're okay?"

Haley smiled, but a tear slid down her cheek. "I'm better than okay. I have more than I could have ever wished."

"Nathan knows," Deb stated.

Haley nodded. "I would have never let this relationship get so far without letting him know everything. He needed to know everything."

They were all quiet for several moments.

"I wasn't hiding it from you," Haley explained. "I was, but I wasn't. My family knows. Not their wives and husbands. Brooke and Peyton know. They were with me right after it happened and through everything after it. I go to therapy sometimes, so they know. But they don't know me, so there's a difference. Nathan was the first person I consciously chose to tell. He was the first person who I knew might be staying in my life on a permanent basis that I chose to let know that information. Rachel Gatina knows, but I didn't tell her. She's smart and she knows me. She knew me right after I had Sam. She's smart; she did her research.

"The thing is, after Rachel found out, I started being more careful. I don't believe anyone has more right to know about this than Sam. I can't tell him yet, obviously. Someday I will have to. Until that time, I don't think it's necessary for anyone else to know. I hope you understand that. I hope you'll also keep this to yourselves. I trust you, you're family."

"Of course," both Deb and Mae replied.

"You know, you have a lot to be proud of with Nathan. He's known for a long time now and he's been great. He's… he's more than I could have ever dreamed of. I didn't let myself dream until he came along.

"You've both told me how glad you are that I'm in his life and how much I've done for him."

"You always say he's done a lot for you, too," Deb remembered.

"Now you know why.

"What's going on?" Nathan walked in as they were finishing. He looked concerned. "I walked in and everyone's in the kitchen and quiet except you three. What's going on?"

Without a word, Haley turned to Nathan and nearly sprinted into his arms. She didn't notice that Deb and Mae left the room even though both gave her a reassuring pat on the back as they left.

Nathan just held her. He wasn't sure what was going on. He just knew that Haley wanted to be held. If she needed comforting, he would be there for her.

* * *

**Note:** I know there wasn't a lot of Nathan and Haley together in this. I'll make for that, I promise. Anyway, thank you for reading and reviewing!


	51. Chapter Fifty

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** This picks up exactly where the last chapter left off. I didn't plan on getting this out so quickly. It just happened. Enjoy! Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

"What's wrong, Hales?" Nathan was still holding Haley in his arms. He could tell she wasn't crying, but she was holding onto him. She wouldn't let go. He walked them over to the couch and sat them down. He rubbed soft circles on her back and whispered comforting words to her.

"It'll be okay. Whatever it is, we'll get through it together. Just tell me what's wrong, Hales."

"It's," she began.

"And don't tell me it's nothing."

She managed a small smile.

"It's not nothing." She chewed on her lip and looked up at him. The care was evident on his face. His piercing blue eyes were gazing at her. It was as if he could see right through her. He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, then kissed her forehead.

Haley kissed him. She let her lips move over his and soon his lips were moving with hers. Their mouths were slightly parted and Haley caught Nathan's lower lip between hers. She sucked on it before pulling away.

"I need you," she said.

"You have me. What's going on?"

She sighed. She began telling him everything that had happened. She began with Rachel's visit and before she could get to the second half of her story, Nathan was about ready to run out of the house and make whoever was threatening their son pay. Throughout all the turmoil of the day Haley felt better seeing how protective Nathan was over their son. She asked him to sit back down and told him that there was more. The look on his face was incredulous. How could their possibly be more?

She related the story of telling everyone about this tabloid story, then told him about Taylor's reaction. She summed it up by telling him that his mom and grandma knew. They both knew that Deb and Mae wouldn't say anything. Haley didn't have to say anything about that. Nathan knew that his mother and grandmother were probably shocked by what they'd heard today.

Nathan remembered how badly Haley had reacted when she had to tell him about being raped. She hadn't taken it well at all, but she had done it. She had been scared when Rachel found out. That was before she knew Rachel wasn't going to tell anyone. He understood that it was different telling family. These were the people who were going to be looking at her and interacting with her on a regular basis for the rest of their lives. Haley had worried when she told Nathan that he might look at her differently. He understood that, on some level, she probably wondered the same about his family.

He wanted nothing more than to make every bad thing in the world go away for her. He wanted her to never feel pain or fear. He only wanted happiness in her life. He had promised her he would do his best to make her happy for the rest of their lives. He just wished there was something more that he could do.

He was angry at Taylor. He didn't understand how she could be so careless. They were sisters, for crying out loud. Taylor should be a little more careful. Taylor had been making snide remarks during the past two days about the fact that Nathan and Haley had been caught with their pants down. She had been discreet and very few other people had noticed the comments. She made sure that Nathan and Haley heard. He was still surprised that she would speak so freely about something that had caused her sister such pain.

"What do you need me to do, Hales?"

"Just be you." She rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her small frame. "I just need you to be you."

"I can do that. You want me to beat anyone up?"

Haley chuckled a little bit. "No, but thank you for offering. I don't want you getting into any trouble over this." She closed her eyes. Being in Nathan's arms was the best she'd felt since Rachel walked into her house.

"I'm glad Rachel is helping," Haley told him. "But I think I need to do something, too. I think maybe I should release a message. I don't think I want to do a press release. I think it needs to be more personal because this is personal."

"Whatever you think is best, Hales. Just don't think you owe anyone an explanation. The only one who deserves to know anything about this is Sam."

"I think I'm going to use the webcam and record a video. It just… it seems like it might be more sincere if they can see me explain my side of this."

"Are you up for that?"

"It's for the best. It's to protect Sam. Do you think you'd sit in the room with me while I do it? Just the two of us?"

"I'm by your side for everything. Whatever you need."

Haley felt a genuine smile cross her face. "You know, I told your mom and grandma that they have a lot to be proud of when it comes to you. And it's true. You're pretty damn amazing."

"You're not so bad yourself, Ms. James." He kissed her, keeping his hand on her cheek.

"I can't wait to be Mrs. Scott."

"It'll be here before we know it," he said.

"I guess we, uh, I guess we better get back out there."

"You know, I don't think they'd blame you if you hid for a while longer."

Haley shrugged. "They wouldn't, but I can't do that to Sam. Besides, Deb and Mae may have found out, but there are still people in the house who don't know. I'd like to keep it that way. It just seems like we're going to have to work harder and harder for that."

"We will if your sister's involved," Nathan said through gritted teeth. "I'm sorry, Hales. I know she's your sister. I just… I just can't believe she did that."

"I know. Me either. I'm going to talk to her."

"You want to do that alone?"

Haley nodded. "I think it would be best."

"Well, whenever you're ready, I can distract everyone else."

"And how are you going to do that?"

"I'll just be my handsome and charming self."

Haley laughed. It was a full throated laugh, filled with mirth. "Oh, that ego of yours. It's almost as big as other parts of you," she whispered.

"Hales, that isn't fair. You can't tease me like that when we have a house full of people. It's bad enough we've had barely any alone time in the past couple of days. I miss you."

"We sleep next to each other every night, Nathan."

"You know what I mean."

"Well, maybe we can work something out," she winked.

They left the living room and went to the kitchen. It was overflowing with guests, many of whom had ventured into the backyard.

"This is your fault, you know," he said while they were still out of earshot. "You keep telling me I'm sexy."

"I can't deny it," she flirted with him.

Their guests had heard Haley and turned their attention to her and Nathan as they came back. Haley's hand was enclosed in Nathan's as they stood in front of their family. Everyone who had been in the house that afternoon and knew what had happened looked at Haley with apprehension.

Sam was sitting on the counter. He was telling his grandmother all about the Staples Center and everything they had seen that day.

"Will you guys be okay down here for a little bit? Nathan and I have something to take care of," Haley informed them all. If this had been two hours earlier, Taylor would have made a suggestive comment about the couple. She stayed silent. In fact, she was standing in the corner with her head down. She looked deeply ashamed and couldn't bring herself to look at anyone, let alone Haley.

Haley had recorded her message in the spare bedroom of their house. She didn't want anyone seeing their bedroom. That wasn't anyone's business. She didn't want to do it downstairs, because there were so many people down there. She had brought the laptop into the guest room. Nathan sat off to the side away from the view of the camera as Haley told her fans as much of the truth as she felt they should know.

Haley told them that this person's story was completely false. She explained that she felt it was no one's business but her family's and that she hadn't commented on this because she felt it wasn't necessary. Now that someone was making up a story with the potential to hurt her son she had to comment. She said that she knew her fans would understand and continue to support her, wished them all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and left it at that. She hoped it was enough.

Occasionally, she would look to Nathan. He would give her a small smile of encouragement and urge her to continue. When she was done and had turned off the camera, he picked her up in his arms. He told her how proud he was of her and how great she had done. He told her how strong she was and how brave she was. He told her that he believed she could make it through anything, because she already had.

They were holding hands again as they descended the stairs. They found their guests having a good time. They had splintered off into small groups, but everyone was mingling and getting along well. Haley felt better knowing that their families were taking to each other so well.

Quietly, Haley told Peyton and Brooke what she had done. This would have somewhat of an effect on their company, so they had a right to know that she had made a statement and posted it online. Along with Rachel's blog post, it had been a busy couple of hours for anyone who had typed the name 'Haley James' into an internet search engine.

Haley noticed Taylor standing in the corner still. She looked like she was trying to blend into the wall. It was like she wanted to disappear. She gave Nathan's hand a squeeze before letting go of it and approaching her sister.

Taylor was the youngest until Haley had come along. They had never gotten along. Lydia once explained to Haley that she thought Taylor was jealous. First, she was the youngest and had been given all the attention. Then Haley came along and almost everything seemed to come so easily for her. Things hadn't come easily for Taylor. She had struggled with school where Haley had excelled. She misbehaved while Haley had been an angel.

Everything in Haley's life was perfect in Taylor's eyes. Until Haley was raped.

"I think you and I should talk," Haley quietly told Taylor. Taylor's head was still down and she hadn't even noticed Haley approach her at first.

She didn't want to look at Haley. Her stomach was in knots.

Haley grabbed Taylor by the arm and hooked her own arm through her sister's.

"Come on. Let's go talk."

Silently, Taylor nodded. Haley led her upstairs and into her bedroom. She sat Taylor down on the bed and looked at her. Taylor had her hands in her lap and was staring at them.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Tears began falling down her face.

"I can't tell you it's okay, Tay."

"I know. I know it isn't. I know I screwed up."

"Do you know why I'm mad?"

Taylor nodded. "I hate when you're mad. You're so quiet. It's creepy." Haley didn't respond, so Taylor continued. "Sam. You're mad because of Sam. Haley Bob, I would never do anything to hurt that little boy. I love him, you know that. I know I act like a bitch, but I do love that little boy. A lot more than those other little brats."

Haley couldn't help the chuckle that she let out. "Tay, it gets really hard sometimes keeping this from him. I have a feeling it's only gonna get harder. I don't want to think that if this gets out that it's because of family."

"It won't be. I swear. And if anyone does, I'll kick their ass."

"I just need you to think before you speak, Tay. You can't just say things without thinking about it."

"I know. I'll think more. I promise."

"I love you, sis," Haley wrapped her arms around her sister.

Taylor didn't say anything. Haley didn't expect it. It wasn't who Taylor was.

Before they pulled apart, they heard Quinn's voice. "You two haven't killed each other, have you?" Her head was peeking through the doorway. When she saw her younger sisters hugging, she opened the door completely and walked in. She was followed by Vivian, Brooke, and Peyton. The four of them made themselves at home and sat in Haley's room. Some took seats on the bed, some on the floor, and Peyton sat between Brooke's legs on the chair.

Brooke sat up a little, pulling something out from underneath her. She held up the garment and whistled. "Nice, Tutor Fiancee. I'm sure Boy Toy loves getting this off of you."

Haley's eyes widened and her face turned red when she saw Brooke holding up a black lace bra.

"Unless she's already completely naked," Peyton joked.

One thing that Haley was grateful for was how good her two best friends were at knowing when it was time to laugh. Although she wished the subject wasn't her sex life, she was grateful for the levity.

"What's this about? Haley Bob completely naked. Do I want to know?" Quinn picked up a pillow and held it.

"Oh, this is a good story," Peyton began. "Your mom and dad tell us they want to surprise her, so they ask us to let them in the house. We get here, find Nathan downstairs in only his underwear. He looks shocked and then we hear your sister yelling that she's completely naked and waiting for him upstairs!"

Haley could feel the blush burning to the tips of her ears. Her sisters, Peyton and Brooke included, were laughing. Haley laughed too, but was still blushing furiously.

"When did this start?" Vivian was curious. Each woman in the room knew what a big step this was for Haley. When Vivian and Haley had spoken in Chicago, Haley wasn't ready for that step.

"Can we please not talk about my sex life?" Haley was feeling a little exasperated.

"Haley Bob has a sex life," Quinn sing-songed. "Come on, baby sis. You've got to give us something!"

Haley chewed on her lip. She was a private person. She had spent years hearing about her sisters mention their sex lives. For Haley, sex was something private and to be shared by people in love. It was how she saw sex with Nathan. It wasn't sex with Nathan, though. They made love when they were together. Whether it was slow and gentle or fast and frenzied, they were always making love. They were always expressing their love for each other.

Her sisters were all watching her and Haley had to decide if she wanted to share with them. This was something they all had expected of her when she final began having sex. Her circumstances were, of course, different. Still, there was a part of her that wanted to share in something that all of her sisters had taken part in. Some more than others.

"The night he proposed," she finally answered. "It was the night he proposed." She would say at least that much. Brooke and Peyton already knew that much.

"I give Boy Toy a lot of credit," Brooke stated. "He waited almost an entire year. I mean, if we didn't already know he was head over heels in love with you. I'm guessing he didn't push you into anything, either."

Haley shook her head, but didn't say anything.

"Well, how was it?" Quinn gave Haley's knee a gentle slap. "Don't hold out on us."

When Brooke and Peyton had found out that Nathan and Haley had made love, Haley couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. This was just the same. Without saying a word, everyone in the room knew just how much Haley was enjoying herself. She was grinning from ear to ear.

"That good, huh? Come on, we want details," Quinn declared.

Haley cocked her head to the side and gave Quinn a look, as if to say, "You can't really expect me to give you details."

"Okay, maybe not details," Vivian interrupted. "But how was the first time? He was okay, right? And I'm not talk about that," she added, noticing the raised eyebrows from some of the others. "I mean he was okay with you."

That was something Haley was more than willing to talk about. "He was great, guys. He was so patient and gentle. He was so worried about hurting me. I, uh, I sort of had to talk him into it," she told them. She was sharing now. She wouldn't go into every detail, but she didn't mind going into some. "He just wanted to be sure that I was sure that was what I wanted."

"Gold star for Nathan," Taylor said. It was the first thing she'd said since everyone else came in the room.

"I had to tell him not to worry about me and not to hold back," Haley continued.

"Could you tell he was holding back?" Brooke looked incredulous.

"No," Haley shook her head. "Not at all."

"He's not holding back anymore," Peyton stated.

"No. He's definitely not holding back now."

* * *

Nathan carried Sam as they walked into the house. It had been a long day. It was now Christmas Eve. They had spent it all at Nathan's old house. Mae, Karen, and Lydia had done all of the cooking. It was casual. They'd put together a buffet and just when it seemed like they were running out of food, the three women had more ready for their family. They had done it as a thank you to Haley, Nathan, and Sam for having them all at the house for Christmas.

Sam had run around, playing with his cousins. Nathan and Lucas had taken turns with the kids playing basketball. Nathan and Lucas would be on opposing teams and they would let the kids take turns sitting on their shoulders so that the ten foot net could be reached.

The dust had settled a bit in Haley and Nathan's lives. Between Rachel's blog post and Haley's video, support was firmly on Haley's side. The story had been published and was on newsstands, but no one believed the guy. In fact, most comments about this person were about how awful he was to try and mess with a five year-old.

Haley and Nathan had had to explain to Sam what was going on. They wanted to let him know that he may hear some things at school. He didn't understand why someone would lie about being his father. For Sam, he already had a father and he thought everyone knew that. His parents had had to explain to him that because they were famous, sometimes people were far more interested in their lives than they should be. Sam had had some trouble understanding it, but he did understand that he had a mommy and a daddy who loved him and would do anything for him.

Now, the three of them were home. Sam had fallen asleep in the car and Nathan was gently carrying him to his room. The two of them worked silently to get Sam into his pajamas and get him settled without waking him up. They managed it and left the boy in his room, sleeping peacefully until Christmas morning.

When they tiredly walked into their room, Haley pulled Nathan to her, grabbing the collar of his shirt.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," he smirked.

"It's out first Christmas together. I mean, we were together last year, but we spent the holiday apart. We were just starting out."

"It's our first Christmas together."

"So, I was wondering, Mr. Scott," Haley winked at him and seductively leaned into him, "do you want to open one of your presents now?"

Nathan's eyes lit up. "That depends. Is my gift about five foot four, gorgeous brown hair, beautiful brown eyes, wearing a green sweater, and jeans?"

"Might be. But that isn't exactly what I had in mind."

Nathan's expression was one of confusion. He brought one calloused hand to the hem of her sweater. She took his hand off of her and backed away. Her lip was between her teeth.

"I hope you like it. I did it a few days ago and have been trying to avoid you since then. I thought it would be a good time since we had so much company that we really haven't had any time to ourselves until now."

"Hales, you're rambling. What's goin' on?"

"Sorry." She shuffled on one foot and turned her back to him. She lifted her sweater and lowered her jeans a bit. Imprinted on the skin of her lower back was the number twenty-three. The skin around it was slightly pink. It was still healing.

Nathan quietly shuffled over to her, not sure of what to say. She still had her back turned to him, but she was fidgeting. Nathan let his fingers lightly graze the permanent ink.

"You got a tattoo," he whispered.

Now that he'd spoken, Haley turned around and faced him. His mouth was slightly open and his eyes wide. She felt the need to explain herself. "I know you're not playing right now and I know that there's a chance you won't. But it is still a huge part of you. I wanted that. I just… I wanted to have something to show that. I wanted something that was permanent. I hope it doesn't make you feel awkward about not playing. I did think about that. I also thought about how much you like giving me hickeys. You like marking me as yours and even though I pretend to be annoyed, I'm not. I love being yours. So, now, it's permanent. I belong to you, number twenty-three."

Not knowing how to say what he was feeling, Nathan pulled her toward him and kissed her. "Mine," he said, but it didn't sound possessive. It sounded like he could hardly believe it, but that it would be something he would treasure forever.

He pulled away and held her face in both of his hands. "I can't believe you did that, Hales. Now I know why you've been waiting to shower until I left the room."

Haley blushed. "I'm surprised you didn't find it earlier. It's been hard trying to keep away from you these past few days," she admitted.

"Don't ever do that again. Even though I love that you did this."

"You love it?"

"Of course I do. It's pretty damn sexy. My girl's got my number on her for the rest of her life. I love you, Hales."

"Sexy, huh?" Again, she grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him toward her. She began pushing him back toward their bed. When they got to it, she lightly shoved him in the middle of his chest, telling him she wanted him on it. "I'm tired of keeping away from you."

The low sound of her voice along with the tattoo were proving to be quite the turn on for Nathan and he could already feel his khakis tightening. He moved back on the bed and leaned on his elbows as Haley straddled him. He reached for her hips and was about the flip them over when she stopped him and shook her head.

"Not this time," she said, leaning down to kiss him. When she leaned, she felt his erection. She was always so surprised at how hard he got before they were actually doing anything. She couldn't believe the power she held over him.

As she kissed him, she began to undo the button on his shirt, one by one until his toned chest was exposed to her. She ran her fingers down his chest, allowing them to graze over his nipples. He thrust his hips into her in reaction and both moaned at the friction.

"We have to stay quiet," she reminded him.

"I'm not the one who gets noisy."

"Well, then you're just going to have to help me out with that." As she said that, he again thrust his hips into hers and caused his hardness to come into contact with her. She moaned and moved her own hips so she could feel more of him. The more she did it, the more wet she became.

He sat up and kissed her. His right hand trailed down her back, still covered in her sweater. Since he was sitting up, Haley took the opportunity to move his shirt off of his shoulders. He slipped it off and tossed it aside as he kissed her and began moving her sweater up. They parted only so they could get the sweater over her head. Her bra was quickly cast aside and quickly, they were making out, their upper halves completely naked.

Their tongues delved into each other's mouths. They tasted each other. She had both arms around his neck, holding him as close as possible. Their kisses were frantic and filled with lust. She gave his hair a light tug, spurring him on further and causing him to bring a hand to her exposed breast. He tweaked the nipple with his thumb, but kissed her as he did it to muffle the moan he knew would come from her. She arched her back into him, wanting more.

Nathan went for the button of her jeans, got it open, and lowered the zipper. She helped him and soon, her jeans were off of her.

"You have too many clothes on," she told him.

"Want to help me with that?"

Haley responded by getting his khakis open. He moved so she could bring them down his legs and he kicked them off. Haley reached into his boxers and stroked his length. He got harder as she traced the tip of his throbbing member. Feeling it, she knew exactly where she wanted it and she didn't want to waste anymore time. She grabbed the waistband of his boxers and tugged. Again, like with his pants, Nathan helped her get them off of him. She moved off of him so she could remove her panties, but then resumed her position, straddling him.

She could feel him. She could always feel him when they were like this. She was so wet that she was dripping on him.

Nathan sat up and kissed her. He buried his hand in her hair and nipped her lip. As he was kissing her, he began touching her wet folds. He deepened the kiss when he felt her moan in his mouth. He placed another finger inside of her.

"You're so tight and so wet," he said.

"You make me this way, Nathan. You make me this way. It's all for you."

Her words made him harder, if that was possible. His erection was getting painful.

It was almost as if she could read his mind. "I want you in me," she said. "I want you so much, Nathan. I love you so much."

"I love that tattoo and I love you."

Haley raised her hips and lowered herself onto his shaft. She threw her head back at the pleasure she felt as she lowered herself, getting all of him in her. Nathan was still sitting up and held her close. She began raising and lowering herself onto him. Her pace began slowly, but as he joined her in her movements, her actions became faster.

Haley buried her face into his shoulder, trying to keep the loud moan threatening to escape inside. She continued bouncing on top of him, clenching her inner walls around his cock and causing him to groan. She never wanted this to end. She never wanted it to end with him, but she could feel it coming.

Nathan was grasping her hips and was sucking on her shoulder. He knew that she was now permanently marked, but he couldn't help it. He loved the taste of every part of her.

They came together after one final, powerful thrust. They didn't let go of each other. Their breathing was ragged. Strands of hair were sticking to Haley's sweat slicked brow. Nathan lay back, but still didn't let go of Haley. He kept her close to him as he pulled their sheets and comforter over their naked bodies.

"Pretty good for our first Christmas together," Haley commented.

"Better than good. I love you. And your tattoo. But I love you more."

Haley chuckled a little. Her head was resting on the hard planes of his chest. She didn't make any effort to move. She was too satisfied to move. Though flaccid, he was still inside of her.

"You still left a mark, didn't you?"

She couldn't see him, but Nathan was smirking. "Couldn't help it. You taste good. All of you. Merry Christmas, Hales. It's gonna be this great for the rest of our lives."

"Always and forever. I love you, too."

* * *

**Note:** So... I'm not ending this story as soon as I thought I was going to. I had an idea. So, I know exactly how it ends (the epilogue is all planned out), I'm just adding one more element to the story that may add about two more chapters. Thank you for reading and reviewing! I'm always blown away at how great you guys are with reviewing.


	52. Chapter FiftyOne

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Well, I think this might be the best week of updating I've ever had. Wow. I hope you enjoy this. There are some notes about the story and its future at the end, as well as a comment to some reviews, so you might want to read those. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Sam had run into Nathan and Haley's room bright and early Christmas morning. He jumped onto their bed, startling them both awake. Knowing that this would possibly happen and having had a task to accomplish in the middle of the night, both had put on clothes before falling asleep. Haley was wearing a pair of pajama pants and one of Nathan's old sweatshirts. He had had it since he had been recruited by Duke while still in high school. She felt comfortable in it. It smelled just like him.

Nathan opened his eyes to see his son hovering over him. Sam's face was filled with excitement. Nathan glanced over at Haley, who looked peaceful and content.

"What's going on, Sam?"

"He came! He came!"

Nathan decided to play with Sam. "Who came?"

"Santa!" Sam looked to his mom for help.

Haley offered a fake yawn before responding. She stretched her arms over her head. Nathan found himself wishing that his sweatshirt wasn't so big on her. If it was her size, he might have been able to catch a glimpse of that tattoo.

"Why would Santa come today, sweetie?"

"Guys! It's Christmas! Come downstairs!"

When Sam was finally old enough to understand Christmas and Santa, he had always run into his mother's room before going downstairs. Haley had never told him to do it. He just always wanted her with him to see if Santa had eaten the cookies and drank the milk and to open his gifts. Now, he was sitting in between his parents as they teased him. Nathan grabbed Sam and began tickling him. "It's Christmas?"

"Yes," Sam giggled. "It's Christmas!"

"Well," Nathan stopped tickling him, "I guess we'd better get downstairs."

When they got downstairs, they found that Santa had eaten the cookies and had drank all of the milk. In actuality, a while after making love and checking on Sam to make sure he was still asleep, Nathan and Haley had crept downstairs. Using only the lights from the glow of the Christmas tree, they tried to keep quiet while assembling his Christmas gift. Now, sitting in front of the tree was a green drum set. A short stool was with it and the sticks, bound by red ribbon, were sitting on the stool. The couple had struggled to not make any noise while putting it together. With a drum set, that was difficult.

Sam had watched Haley's drummer playing along as they recorded a track several months back. He'd been enamored with the instrument. He'd been asking about it ever since. Nathan and Haley had discussed it. They knew that if they got him a drum set that it would get loud in their house. The drum set would definitely be coming with several rules. What Haley loved was that her son was taking an interest in music. She wouldn't have minded if he had chosen something else. Music wasn't for everyone. She was a little excited, though, to see him interested in music in some way. Since he had been mentioning the drums for several months, she hoped that he would stick with it and it wouldn't be a passing phase.

When they had finished, Nathan and Haley had taken some time to sit back and relax. They sat together on the sofa in each other's arms. They didn't speak. They shared the cookies and the milk and enjoyed the glow left by the Christmas tree lights and cuddled. The two were just reveling in their first family Christmas. Haley had taken care of Sam's gifts from Santa with family the last two years. Before that, Brooke and Peyton had helped. She couldn't describe how different it was having Sam's father doing that with her now. The feeling she got from knowing that he would always be there for that was indescribable. He would be there for their future children as well. She hadn't planned on having a partner in parenting and hadn't felt one was necessary until Nathan. Nathan was now her partner in everything. This was just one more thing to illustrate that.

Sam's excitement could easily be felt. He ran toward the drums, but slowed down when he got to them. He gently ran his little fingers over the cymbal. He looked to his parents who nodded, letting him know it was okay if he picked up the sticks and sat on the stool.

"Santa sent us some rules to go along with these drums," Nathan told his son. "You ready for 'em?"

Sam nodded his head. This was Haley's idea to present the list as being from Santa. She had tried disguising her own handwriting and had written a list of rules for Sam before he could play the drums.

"Okay," Nathan cleared his throat," Number one: Go to sleep when mommy and daddy tell you. Number two: No drums until all homework and chores are done. Number three: Ask mommy and daddy before you play. Number four: Let mommy's drummer give you some lessons."

"Lessons?"

"That's right," Haley stepped in. "Braden told Santa that he would give you some lessons so that you know which drum is which and how to play correctly. That way you can play real songs."

"Mommy and daddy have one more rule," Nathan added. "If it gets too loud and the neighbors ask you to quiet down, you have to quiet down. Okay?"

Sam nodded, clutching the drum sticks close.

"Why don't the three of us open our stockings, then you can try out your drums," Haley suggested.

The three of them sat in a little circle around the tree in their pajamas. Haley sat closer to Nathan as she distributed their stockings. Nathan had never had a stocking before, but he was more interested in seeing Sam delve into his. Haley leaned into him and he let his hand travel to the hem of his sweatshirt that she was wearing. He lifted it and ran his fingers over her tattoo. He could feel the goose bumps on her skin and she leaned further into him as they watched Sam dig through his stocking.

Sam's stocking as filled with a few toy cars and some candy. They also included a few of the activity books he liked to do. For Nathan, Haley and Sam had included a few pairs of the black socks he liked to wear when working out. They also included two of his favorite chocolate bars and a "World's Greatest Dad" mug. When Haley got into her stocking, she found new guitar picks and new strings. It also had a framed picture of the three of them taken a few weeks earlier when they guys had been putting up the outdoor Christmas lights. Sam had made the frame himself in school.

"You can't stay away from that tattoo," Haley whispered.

"I can't help it," he was also whispering, "it's like a tractor beam."

With their stockings finished, Sam went to his drums. He began hitting on them, not really carrying any kind of a beat. Haley was able to quickly show him a few things with her knowledge of the instrument. She couldn't play the drums, but she knew a few things he could do.

Sam was so busy having fun with his drums that he didn't even realize he hadn't had breakfast yet. Haley got ready for the day and their company while Nathan kept an eye on Sam. Sam was really concentrating on the beat Haley had taught him. He was trying to make sure he did it well. Haley then made breakfast for all three of them while Nathan got ready. She had a lot of cooking to do that day.

They had to pry Sam away from the drum set to get him bathed and dressed. They told him that he could play until their family arrived. In the kitchen, Nathan and Haley worked together trying to get everything ready. They were laying out some of the leftovers from the day before that Karen, Deb, and Mae had sent with them. There was just enough for everyone to snack while they waited for dinner. Haley was also making a turkey, a roast, and a ham. She would be feeding nearly two dozen people, so there would be a lot of cooking going on. Nathan was helping her chop vegetables and get everything ready so it would be easier to cook when the time came.

Brooke, Julian, Lucas, and Peyton were the first to arrive. They had known what Santa was bringing Sam, so they weren't surprised to approach the house and hear the sound of drums. They also weren't surprised to walk in and find Nathan and Haley in the kitchen together. They were both in aprons covered in flour, baking half a dozen pies and working on some cookies. Haley immediately put them all to work helping her get things ready. It wouldn't be much longer until the entire house was filled with people.

Sure enough, they all came in what seemed to be a caravan. One after another, each family filed into the house, all of them carrying a load of gifts for everyone. With kids involved, the adults knew that gifts had to be taken care of before anything else. To make things easier, each person got their own pile to dig into. Nathan and Haley had saved their gifts to each other for last.

Nathan carelessly unwrapped the small box, making Haley laugh. It was barely bigger than the box he had for Haley. She stopped unwrapping the gift from her parents to watch him. She bit her lip, excited to see his reaction to it.

"Are you serious?" His expression was as awestruck as Sam's was when he'd seen his drums. "This… this is real!"

Haley nodded. Nathan held it as if it were sacred.

"What is it, Little Brother?"

Nathan just stared at it. "I can't believe it. How did you find this? Hales, this is a signed Michael Jordan rookie card!"

Lucas and a few of the guys stopped at Nathan's words and immediately turned their attention to him and his gift.

"Do you like it?" Haley had stopped biting on her lip and was now playing with the ring on her pinky.

"Are you kidding, I love it!" She was sitting right next to him. Their thighs were touching as they sat on the sofa. He brought his face closer to hers and thanked her with a kiss. Their lips worked together and Haley caressed his cheek with her hand. The broke apart when they heard someone clear their voice. It was followed with a few whistles and cat calls. Haley blushed, but didn't pull away from Nathan completely.

"Open yours," he told her. "Go ahead."

Haley unwrapped it and immediately recognized the light blue box. She looked up at him. "You're going to spoil me," she said.

"Good. But you still need to open it."

Haley lifted the lid of the box to find a beautiful diamond necklace enclosed in the black velvet case. "Nathan! It matches the earrings! You shouldn't have!"

"Why not? It's Christmas, Hales. You'll make this thing look beautiful."

She blushed again. "Put it on me?"

Nathan obliged and clasped the chain around her neck.

"What earrings?" Vivian's attention was now on her sister now that she'd finished opening her own gifts.

Haley moved aside her hair and showed everyone the earrings Nathan had given her not long before he proposed.

"He got them when he picked out her engagement ring," Mae added. "He got me something too."

Deb had also received a piece of jewelry from Tiffany & Co. from her son, prompting her to comment, "They must love you at that store."

Nathan shrugged, but he was a little embarrassed by the attention. He just wanted his mom and grandma to have something nice. And Haley, well, she deserved the best of everything. The necklace matched her earrings perfectly and he thought she should have the whole set. He'd gotten her a bracelet, but was hiding it at Lucas's house until Haley's birthday later that summer.

* * *

Haley had dinner set and everyone was now packed in various parts of the living room and dining room. Their plates were full and they were all talking warmly with each other. Nathan, Haley, and Sam sat together at the head of the dining room table. Haley had kept trying to get up to check on things, but people kept stopping her. They kept telling he she had done enough for the day and should sit down, relax, and enjoy her dinner.

Before eating his food, Jimmy James stood up. In a loud voice, he spoke, "I'd like to propose a toast." He lifted his beer. "Uh, here's to a great Christmas. Here's to family coming together. I think we can all agree that family growing is always a good thing."

Taylor snorted and Quinn elbowed her in the ribs.

"Now, to the reason this family is growing. To Haley, Nathan, and Sam, thank you for having us all here this year. You're very brave for taking us all on. And I think it's safe to say that we're all just really happy about this family you three have made. So, here's to you. Cheers."

A chorus of "cheers" were heard throughout both rooms as everyone drank to their family.

"I've noticed you've got that hoop out there," Jimmy observed. "Are you playing again, Nathan?"

The subject of Nathan's playing hadn't come up much since their family had been there. None of them were really sure how to approach the issue.

Nathan finished chewing the food in his mouth. "I've been trying," he admitted. He had been trying ever since Haley had brought the hoop home for him. He was getting stronger and stronger. His knee hurt less and less when he tried to do the things he used to do. He was starting to gain his confidence again. He had made an appointment with Jerry to make sure that he wasn't doing anything to ruin the progress he had made. Jerry assured him that he was fine. He gave Nathan some tips about how to treat his knee after a workout to keep things going well.

"He's been doing so well," Haley beamed. "He's been working hard."

"Been working on actually playing, son?" Royal had a little food in his mouth as he spoke. "Be careful, Nathan. You don't want to get hurt.

"No, sir. I don't want that. If I start feeling any pain or discomfort, I stop and I elevate and ice the knee. I'm being careful. It's been goin' good. I'm still a little slow."

"It's not going to come back right away," Lucas commented.

"Luke's been helping me out. He's pretty good with coaching."

"Well, Lucas, you always were good at helping the other players on your team," Mae remembered. "I'm sure you're also making sure your brother is staying safe."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Nathan, when do you see the doctor about maybe playing again? I know that's a long way off, but since you're making such good progress," Deb wondered.

"Not for a few more months. They're giving me until ten months after the accident to see how it's healed. By then, we'll know if it's in any kind of shape for me to play. I'm just taking it as it comes. If I can play, that'll be great. If not, I'll be fine. Better than fine," he looked over to Haley and Sam.

"That's good to hear, Nathan," Keith knew, possibly better than anyone, just what could come from someone who wasn't prepared to lose his dream. He'd suffered the consequences of Dan not being able to get over not playing basketball. He had nearly lost his life. He knew exactly how important it was for Nathan to not be who Dan was. He was proud of his nephew and the man he had become. Keith had seen Dan go from being an innocent boy to a cocky teenager to a man who bullied his own son. Keith also saw Nathan grow into a caring, loving, and respectful man who knew the importance of those around him.

* * *

When dinner was finished, the dishes cleared, and mostly cleaned, the party began to die down. Slowly, the adults with children began to file out. Their kids were full, exhausted, and happy. Haley and Nathan had tucked Sam in and left him peacefully sleeping in his room. He hadn't wanted to go to sleep, but his parents knew how tired he was. He had fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

The only ones left were Jimmy, Lydia, Deb, Taylor, Quinn, her husband David, Brooke, Julian, Lucas, and Peyton. David was quiet, but Nathan liked him. He liked Quinn, too. He was glad that he'd finally had the chance to meet all of Haley's siblings. He didn't want that first time to be at their wedding. Whenever he thought about their wedding, he smiled. He was looking forward to it. Saying he was looking forward to it was an understatement. He already knew it was going to be one of the greatest days of his life.

Haley and Nathan were now reclining on the sofa. As always, their arms were around each other. Haley had her legs tucked underneath her. Her head was resting on Nathan's shoulder, and her hand was placed slightly underneath his shirt. She loved feeling his warm skin. She could have easily fallen asleep in the position she was in.

Nathan had his arm around Haley. His hand was just beneath her shirt, lightly going over the tattoo on her lower back. She snuggled closer to him and wrapped her arm tighter around him.

"Haley, you did a wonderful job with everything," Deb told her.

"Seriously. I don't know how you handled this many people," David marveled.

"Hales is a superhero. She's like a mastermind," Quinn beamed.

"Hales can do anything she puts her mind to," Peyton added.

"You guys act like I can do no wrong," Haley commented.

"She did just write a song about this," Julian pointed out. It was true. "Halo" would be a track on her upcoming album. She had written it in response to her problems with Nathan after the accident. It was everything she'd been feeling about the pedestal that he had her on. She wasn't perfect and it bothered her when people treated her like she was.

"Okay, fine, you're not perfect," Lydia said.

"She did get a B once in college," Peyton reminded everyone.

Haley sat up. "I studied for that test while nursing a three month old baby!"

"Relax, Tutor Mom. We know you did your best."

"It was a B plus," Haley corrected them. She settled back into her spot against Nathan. Now she had her head more on his chest than on his shoulder. He was once again tracing his thumb over her tattoo. "It's still healing, you know," she said softly.

"What is?" Quinn looked at her sister quizzically.

"Nothing," Haley quickly responded. Unconsciously, she moved her shirt lower.

"You didn't!" Taylor's eyes were wide with glee. "You did, didn't you?"

"Wait, what's going on?" David looked at his wife for answers.

Brooke studied her best friend and it hit her. "Haley Bob James soon-to-be Scott, did you get a tramp stamp?"

This was not how Haley wanted everyone to find out about her tattoo.

"It's not a tramp stamp," Nathan protested.

"You know, what I mean, Boy Toy."

"You totally got a tattoo, Haley Bob!" Taylor was excited. On some level, it made her feel better knowing that she and her almost perfect baby sister had a tattoo in the same place. "Come on, let's see it."

"I'm comfortable," Haley said. "I'll stay here, thanks."

"Did you really get a tattoo?" Quinn was giggling.

"Might have," Haley relented.

"What in the world did you put on your body, Haley Bob?" Jimmy James thought this was funny. He had never been that stern with his children. They didn't require it. With the exception of Taylor, they were all relatively well behaved. Occasionally, he and his wife had to have a firm hand. But they liked having fun with their kids. Finding out that his most responsible child now had a tattoo was funny to him.

"You're not getting out of this one," Taylor declared.

"I know," Haley agreed. "Fine. It's Nathan's jersey number. But I'm really not getting up. I'm too comfortable."

"She's had a long day," Deb decided to help the woman. "She did a lot of work."

"Before I go home, I want to see that tattoo," Taylor told her sister.

Nathan had stopped tracing the ink, but his fingers were still on her skin. Haley found it comforting.

"You really did do a beautiful job with all of this, Haley Bob." Lydia smiled warmly at her youngest. "So, what do you say you host next year again?"

Haley laughed. "I don't know about that. I'm tired. I love you guys, but you're a lot of work."

"She's got enough to do dealing with me and Sam," Nathan smiled.

"Oh, you two are a walk in the park compared to Taylor," Peyton joked. Peyton was almost always happy to make jokes about Taylor. She especially enjoyed it when Taylor was in the room.

"Mom, dad, remember when I got in trouble for breaking that vase when I was nine and you grounded me? Peyton broke it," Taylor shot back.

Instead of getting upset, Lydia and Jimmy burst out laughing. "We know, sweetie. We didn't ground you for the vase. We grounded you for stealing Vivian's earrings and then losing them."

At that revelation, everyone else in the room started laughing.

"Guys, Sam's upstairs," Nathan reminded them. Once again, Haley felt warmth spread throughout her knowing how natural it was for Nathan to be concerned for their son. He had chosen fatherhood and he was a natural at it. She loved him more each day. She loved him so much.

"I have a question," Lydia announced. "A while back I told you I wanted more grandkids. When do you two think that's going to happen?"

Haley and Nathan both froze. Haley was used to her parents being upfront about their feelings. If they thought something, they said it. Haley was hoping her mother had forgotten that conversation that they'd had way back in March, but she knew she probably hadn't.

"We-," Nathan started.

"Well-," Haley continued."

"It's just," Nathan again.

"You two look like you got caught with your pants down," Brooke laughed.

"Again," Peyton muttered, causing Taylor to laugh.

"We want more kids," Nathan finally answered.

"Eventually," Haley added.

* * *

"Come on. Let's see that thing, sis." Taylor motioned with her fingers for Haley to turn around. Lydia, Jimmy, and Taylor were the last ones leaving California after Christmas. Everyone else had slowly begun making their way back to their homes.

Julian, Brooke, Peyton, and Lucas had come over to Haley and Nathan's to see Jimmy, Lydia, and Taylor off before they drove home. The RV was parked in front of the house and they were all standing on the sidewalk.

Reluctantly, Haley turned her back to her sister. She lifted her shirt and showed Taylor, and the others, the small "23" inked into her skin.

"Looks good on you, Haley Bob." Gathering her courage, Taylor quickly grabbed Haley and pulled her into a hug. She whispered, "I am so sorry. I'm going to be so careful, Hales."

"I know, Tay. I love you," Haley whispered back.

"Yeah." When they pulled apart Taylor smirked. "Don't get used to that."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"You know, I told you that you might be spending your holidays with other family now. I told you that way back last spring, I believe," Lydia reminded Haley.

"You did say that."

"I'm just… I'm happy for you, Haley Bob."

"Thanks, mom."

Nathan and Jimmy were inside the RV, loading a few of the gifts that Jimmy, Lydia, and Taylor had collected on their visit.

"Nathan," Jimmy said.

Nathan stood and looked at the older man.

"You're a good man." He stepped closer to Nathan and looked out the small window of the RV, looking at his family outside. "Lydia and me, we don't take a lot seriously. When it comes to Haley, we've been… forced to take things seriously. You know."

"I do know."

"She worked hard to heal. You helped her complete it. She lights up around you. I don't know how to thank you for what you've given her, son."

Nathan chose his words carefully. Jimmy didn't have to explain the extent of how much he and Lydia had worried for Haley. Nathan understood. He may not be able to completely relate to what they went through as parents, but he could understand. The thought of Haley going through that made him sick.

"Jimmy, I get to spend the rest of my life with the most kind, gentle, brave, and beautiful woman in the world. I'm just damned lucky she wants me too. She took a chance on me too."

"I think you were both exactly what you needed. Anyway, the point is that I'm just grateful she found you. She was going to need someone special to help her and be with her in spite of everything."

"It's not even in spite of everything, Jimmy. It's just… It matters, but it doesn't even matter. I don't think what happened stopped her from being Haley. Even if I didn't know everything, I could love her the way I do now because she's great. But I do know and it hasn't made me love her less. I've never looked at her and felt any less for her because of it.

"I hate that it happened so much. I hate that someone hurt her and if I could go back and kill the guy myself, I just might. That's not even the point. And I'm not good at saying stuff. That's Haley's department. I don't love her in spite of it and I don't really love her because of it. I love that she's so brave. That she's so brave she could overcome that and be such a great mom to Sam. I just love her. That's all there is to it."

"And that's why you're perfect for her, Nathan. I'm proud to have you in my family. I'm proud that you're my grandson's father."

Nathan and Haley had enjoyed having their family with them throughout the holidays. It was great that everyone got along so well. The families meeting had been a complete success. They were looking forward to things quieting down, though. The day before, Lydia had helped Haley clean up the house a bit, but there was still some work to do. For now, the family of three would be spending the evening ordering takeout and relaxing. They would get to work tomorrow. For now, they just wanted to bask in their happiness and enjoy their family time together.

* * *

**Note #1: **The timeline of the story is going to begin leaping a little bit. There might be some gaps in time, but if I wrote in all of that time, it would just be filler and I'd rather the story have some substance. You'll be getting everything important.

**Note #2:** On that note, I'm estimating about seven chapters or so left for this. I don't want to carry it on any longer than necessary and draw it out to the point where I'm just finding things to add for the sake of still writing it. I'd actually like to get started writing the next story.

**Note #3:** A few of you have left reviews asking why Nathan and Haley don't just lie and say that Nathan is Sam's biological father. I've considered it. However, I honestly think that it wouldn't be good for Sam. This very much concerns him and while it may stop the rumors, I still don't think they should lie to him. The truth is going to be hard enough for him.

Anyway, thank you again for reading and reviewing! No idea when the next chapter will be up.


	53. Chapter FiftyTwo

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** I can't believe I've been updating this often. I can't promise I'll keep it up, but I will try. I like being able to update this often. Anyway, this chapter isn't heavy on the dialogue at all. There also aren't a lot of line breaks. I think it works better that way. I actually am really happy with how it came out. I hope you like it. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

* * *

In the months since Christmas, Haley and Nathan's lives hadn't slowed down. Her album was released and was a huge success. Tickets for her summer tour were nearly sold out. To top it all off, less than a month earlier she had won an Oscar for her song for Julian's latest movie. Nathan had, of course, accompanied her to the ceremony. When her name was called, he stood and cheered for her. He watched her from the audience as she gave her acceptance speech. From that stage, her eyes never left his.

They were now knee deep in two different things. Nathan had been working even harder on getting his knee back into playing shape. The better he did, the more he tried. He found his successes were almost as good for motivation as Haley and Sam cheering him on. They did cheer him on. They were right there with him. They were standing on the sidelines as he made his first dunk since before the accident. They watched him with awe and cheered when he landed back on the ground without feeling any pain. He and Haley both had tears in their eyes.

Lucas was also a big help. He and Nathan were working together several times a week. He took the job very seriously. A large part of Nathan knew that his brother was getting a kick out of bossing him around, but he knew it was for the best. Lucas would stand by with a stop watch and whistle as he drilled Nathan through various exercises. Lucas was happy to see Nathan so motivated. He was happy to see Haley and Sam cheering him on.

Their other task was planning their wedding. They'd been swamped with plans, but things were going smoother than they'd anticipated. It helped that they only wanted a small wedding. Mia had agreed to perform. In fact, she had jumped with excitement when they'd asked. Brooke had flown to Tree Hill several times to work on the exact set up that Haley and she had discussed. It was all based on Nathan's idea of how things would be positioned during the ceremony.

Even though she hated leaving Nathan and Sam, Haley had gone with Brooke on one of these trips to Tree Hill. The two of them had discreetly gone around town trying to find a good place for the reception. Haley also got some ideas for flowers and a few other things that she brought home to Nathan.

While having lunch at the Café one day, Haley had the idea of Karen catering the wedding. Having declared five minutes earlier that Karen's Caesar salad beat anything in Los Angeles, Brooke couldn't argue with Haley's choice. They had discussed it with Karen. Haley would have understood if Karen didn't want to feed that many people. Karen was thrilled to be asked, though. She was more than happy to contribute to the wedding.

Even though Haley hated being away from Nathan and Sam, she loved that she didn't have to worry about Sam while she was away. She'd been gone for two nights and it was the longest time she had ever spent away from her son. It was also the longest distance she had ever been from him. Even though she knew she didn't have to worry, she stilled called several times a day.

Nathan wasn't surprised. In fact, he looked forward to her calls. The more she called the better. They hadn't been apart since he moved in six months earlier. He was glad they were making plans and that she and Brooke were so busy, but he missed her.

When he picked them up from the airport, he literally picked Haley up. Seeing her by baggage claim, he picked her up off of the ground so that her feet were at least a foot off the ground. He kissed her and tried putting all of his feelings about how much he'd missed her into that kiss. Neither were surprised when paparazzi photos of the two showed up online the next day. They didn't mind things like that. They knew they were in public and people could see them, but they were in love and they'd missed each other. Neither really knew how they managed being apart. It was like having a limb missing.

She had missed Sam as much as she had missed Nathan and couldn't help but smother him when she saw him. She could have sworn he'd grown three inches in the few days she'd been gone. He assured her he hadn't, but she insisted. While her hand was firmly in Nathan's, she kept asking Sam a series of questions. She wanted to know everything he'd done in school while she was gone. She'd wanted to know what he did with his time after school and what he'd had for dinner. She was pleased to know that he and Nathan had made sure his homework was done and that he ate healthy.

Sam went into great detail about helping Nathan with training. The two of them, along with Lucas, had been working hard. It was more important than ever. Nathan would, within days, be meeting with doctors and team management to discuss his progress.

When they got home from the airport, the family had a quiet dinner together. While eating, Haley and Nathan discussed all of their wedding plans. She went over everything that she and Brooke had discussed. The discussions were coming so easily to them. Nathan had a few ideas, but he loved most of Haley's. He couldn't think of anyone better to provide the food than Karen. His eyes lit up when Haley mentioned that Karen suggested prime rib as a main course. The event would be great just because he was marrying Haley, but if he could have prime rib too that would be great.

Haley had brought pictures with her of some of the flower arrangements she had been shown. The local Tree Hill florist had been incredibly kind and helpful. Haley had no worries about anyone in Tree Hill spilling the beans about their wedding location or date. There were two arrangements of flowers that Haley couldn't decide between. She loved them both, but wasn't sure which she liked best. Nathan had immediately taken a liking to one of them. That was the one they had chosen.

Haley loved that he was taking such an interest in their wedding. He honestly wanted to help with every decision. He had even cornered Brooke at her office to ask about his and Sam's tuxes. Brooke had been surprised, but was glad to know he was taking such an interest. Despite that, she refused to let him see what he would be wearing. When he came back home, Haley had laughed. She could have told him Brooke wouldn't budge.

Nathan flipped through the channels trying to find something to watch. Sam was fast asleep and Haley was next to him in their bed, a book in front of her. She had her reading glasses on. She didn't wear them often, but she was starting to think she should. She was realizing she needed them more and more when she was just sitting around with a book. Nathan hadn't told her, but he found the glasses kind of hot. He thought she looked like a sexy librarian or teacher. Especially with her hair in a messy bun. He couldn't help it. His girl was hot no matter what she was in.

He was glad for the distraction he was getting from both the TV and from stealing glances at Haley. It was helping him not think about what he had to do the next day. The next day would be difficult and he was anxious. Haley would be with him and that was keeping him from going crazy. Instinctively, he reached between the small space separating them and took her hand. Feeling the warmth of her hand in his own made a difference. It immediately calmed his nerves.

Haley knew what he was thinking and feeling. He didn't have to say it. She knew it the moment he took her hand. Instead of saying anything to him, instead of giving him some speech that no matter what he'd be okay, she brought her lips to his in a soft kiss. He felt her lips smile against his before she pulled away. She gave his hand a squeeze, set her book down, and leaned against him.

That was exactly what he needed. That was what was going to help him get through this.

The next morning, Nathan woke up earlier than Haley. She was usually up before him. He brewed a pot of coffee before going outside. In the backyard, he stared at the basketball hoop. This was the day he would be finding out if he was ever going to play professional basketball again. Every doctor's appointment was better than the last. Dr. Wood was constantly expressing his enthusiasm for Nathan's progress. While the doctor hadn't definitively said that Nathan could play, Nathan couldn't help but feel some level of confidence.

He didn't want to get his hopes up, though. He had been the one to try to remind Haley that he had been told he would never play again. When she wanted to offer encouragement and tell him not to let go of his dream, he had been the one to try and ground things back in reality.

But her enthusiasm had worked. He wanted to play again. He wanted to know if he'd be able to. He had waited until the last possible moment to let himself hope. Despite Dan's injury and the problems it caused growing up, Nathan had never let himself fully consider what would happen to him if he were to be injured. The past ten months he had been forced to. He'd thought about it a lot. He had thought about it when he was drinking, when he was sober. He thought about it when he was with Haley and he thought about it during the few days when he thought he'd lost her. He had thought about it and had prepared himself for it. But now he was letting himself hope.

He didn't pick up a basketball. He didn't make a move to play. He stood in front of the net with his cup of coffee and stared at it. His pajama pants were low on his hips, he was shirtless, and he was barefoot. He stood there watching the hoop. The nylon net swayed a little from the light morning breeze blowing through.

"Hey," Haley alerted him to her presence. She walked out the door to him, her bare feet making her journey silent. She wrapped her arms around herself, her thin robe not enough to keep her warm. When she reached him, she placed a comforting hand on his forearm. A few strands of her loose falling hair were blown into her face from the breeze and she moved them aside, tucking them behind her ear.

Looking at Haley and seeing the level of concern in her eyes, Nathan knew that whatever happened he was going to be just fine.

"Are you ready for today?"

Nathan gave a silent nod. He could see her shivering and handed her his coffee before leading her inside. She took a sip, the warm liquid instantly taking the chill away.

Nathan had barely let go of Haley's hand since they left the house. The two of them had gotten Sam ready for school and dropped him off. Sam had handed Nathan a homemade card before they left, wishing him luck. Along with Haley's presence, Sam's was also giving Nathan a strong dose of courage. He hadn't let go of her hand since they'd dropped Sam off at school. He didn't let go of it while they were driving to the doctor's office. He didn't let go of it on the elevator, or while he signed in. He didn't let go of it as they sat and waited to be called in.

Once he had been called in he went through a series of exercise. They had him in the pool. They had him doing some muscle exercises. They did x-rays and a few scans. Haley waited for Nathan as he completed everything. She sat in her chair fidgeting, glancing at the clock, and playing Angry Birds on her phone. The two then had to wait together while the doctors and specialists looked over the results.

It had seemed like they waited for several hours to be called back in. Knowing it would take over an hour, the two walked down the street for a quick bite to eat. They ate in silence. Haley wanted to tell him something that would reassure him, but the right words wouldn't come. She wasn't aware that just by being there, she was helping him immensely.

When they got back to the doctor's office they again waited. Eventually, after what seemed like an excruciating wait, they were called in. Instead of being in an exam room, they met in Dr. Wood's office. It was much more comfortable. Nathan and Haley sat next to each other on the small couch while Dr. Wood and Mitchell Stuart sat in chairs just opposite them. On one of the walls was an x-ray display. Two x-rays were on there. Nathan assumed they were his.

Haley kept her fingers intertwined with Nathan's as they waited for the doctor to speak.

"Well, Nathan, as you know, we've been keeping track of your knee for every appointment you've had since the accident. We've been keeping a very close watch on your progress. We told you that you would never play professionally again. Nathan, we honestly believed you would never play again. No athlete has ever come back after something like this.

"I don't know what you did, Nathan, but you did it. You did everything right. You can play," Dr. Wood's voice sounded like it wanted to continue.

Nathan and Haley both let out a breath neither knew they had been holding. Haley quickly leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"There's a caveat, Nathan," Dr. Wood told him. "There's more."

"What do you mean?"

"The muscle and tissue around your knee has healed, but it's temporary. You could play, even if you have to play a little differently. You could play at a professional level. You just couldn't play for very long. This is going to be your decision, Nathan.

"Your knee is now even more susceptible to re-injury. If you injure it again, you're done. I know we told you that you were done before, but this time it's for sure. It you injure it again, and there's a strong chance you will, you'll lose the knee. At best, you'll be limping for the rest of your life."

Nathan felt his heart stop. Everything else the doctor was saying was a blur to him. The only thing he could hear was that he could lose the knee for good. If limping were the best case scenario, did he want to ask what the worse would be? He felt Haley's grip on him tighten.

"Nathan, obviously, we're very pleased with the work you've done. We know that you have a lot to think about. This decision is yours. But, if you have any questions, please feel free to call my office."

Nathan barely noticed that Haley took the keys from his hand as they walked out of the office, or that she guided him to the passenger side of the car. His mind was reeling. He could play, but it would come at a cost. What cost? Would he be limping for the rest of his life? He was only in his mid-twenties. Would he no longer be able to walk?

He was still thinking when he and Haley walked back into their house.

"Nathan," her voice broke him from his reverie. It was the first she'd spoken to him since they found out.

Haley was trying to hide how scared she was for him. Getting his dream back was within his grasp. There were risks and those risks terrified her. She tried swallowing it down and hiding it. She wanted to be strong for him. She supposed it could be worse. It had been worse just after the accident when he was in surgery. She didn't know if he'd be coming out alive. He did. It had been tough, but they made it to the place where they were now. But now more than just the game was at stake.

"Nathan, do you want me to see if Sam can stay with Andre tonight?"

Nathan blinked and let her words sink in. Sam. Their son. Mrs. Fields would be dropping him off soon.

"No," he answered. "No. I don't want that. I want Sam to come home."

She was glad to hear it. He wasn't pushing them away. Haley didn't want to have those fears, but she couldn't help it. Haley closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you," she whispered in his ear. "No matter what you decide, I love you and I'm here."

His arms found their way around her. He closed his eyes and rested his head on her shoulder. He breathed in the scent of her shampoo. He held on for dear life. She was going to be his anchor through this.

It wasn't long before Sam got home. The boy came bounding in the house and ran up to his father. Nathan instinctively picked him up and balanced him on his hip.

"Today, we got to build volcanoes at school!"

"Did you?"

"It was so cool, daddy! We made lava come out of it and everything!"

"It sounds cool! You even learned what lava is!"

"Uh huh. It's like fire but like water but like fire!"

Nathan laughed a little.

"Can we go play basketball, daddy?"

Nathan didn't think. He turned and carried his son to the backyard. Once outside, he set Sam down on the ground. Sam ran for the large ball and picked it up. Even though Sam had his shorter hoop and smaller ball, he went for the larger ball. He wanted to play with the big hoop, the one he couldn't even possibly reach.

He tried to dribble the ball, needing both hands to do it. He stood in front of Nathan and smiled.

Nathan quickly swooped in and stole the ball from Sam. Both of them were smiling. Nathan was able to dribble the ball with one hand and then took a shot. Sam ran for the ball and as he grabbed it, Nathan picked his son up and put him on his shoulders.

With Sam securely on his shoulders, Nathan dribbled the ball a few times. When they ended up closer to the net, he handed the ball to Sam. Sam shot and the ball went in. It was much easier when he was on Nathan's shoulders and well over six feet tall.

Haley watched from the door as her two boys played in the backyard. They both looked like they didn't have a care in the world even though she knew that wasn't true. For the moment, though, Nathan seemed like he was able to forget everything going on.

The two of them were running around the backyard and playing. For every move Sam made, Nathan went after him. They were laughing the entire time. They stayed out there until Haley called them both in for dinner. When they walked in the house, they were still laughing.

That night, Sam fell asleep on the sofa between Nathan and Haley. When Nathan looked at the clock and noticed that it was Sam's bedtime, he scooped him up into his arms and carried him upstairs and to his room. He did it with ease. He did it without any trouble at all. He kneeled at Sam's bed, tucking his son in for the night and leaving a kiss on his forehead.

When Nathan and Haley climbed into bed that night, he reached over and held her. They whispered I love yous and fell asleep in each other's arms. Haley knew that Nathan would talk when he was ready to. He wasn't ready yet. He hadn't pushed them away. In fact, he had brought Sam and Haley closer. He reached out for them literally and figuratively. Other than the fact that they both knew something was going on, everything that night had been normal.

Just as he had the morning before, Nathan stood looking at the basketball hoop in the backyard as the sun came up. This time there was no cup of coffee. This time he had slippers on his feet and his Duke hoodie on with his pajama bottoms. He stared at the hoop. He looked at the nylon net and the backboard. He would look at the basketball lying near it.

Just as she had the morning before, Haley walked out to where Nathan was. She knew what he was thinking about. She placed her hand on his arm and brought his attention to her. She offered a warm smile.

Nathan looked at his fiancée. He saw love in her eyes. He saw acceptance, he saw concern. He had been thinking for hours now.

"Did you sleep?"

He shrugged. He hadn't slept much. He kept waking up and thinking and apparently, she could tell. He reached and placed a strand of hair behind her ear. Instead of taking his hand back, he kept it on her cheek. Haley covered his hand with her own and took one step closer to him.

Nathan felt tears come to his eyes. He moved his mouth to speak, but couldn't.

"Nathan…"

"I can't do it, Hales. I can't do it."

"Can't do what?" Could he not give up his dream? Was that what he was about to tell her?

"I can't… I can't lose this, Hales."

She stared at him. She still wasn't sure what he was saying, but her heart was breaking for him. He looked so broken and lost. The only thing she could think of to do was to stand even closer to him and take her free arm and wrap it around his waist. She could feel tears beginning in her own eyes. She hated seeing him broken like this.

"I can't lose you guys."

"Oh, Nathan." Haley leaned on her tip toes and kissed him. "You will never lose us."

"Hales, what if I can't play with Sam anymore?" A few tears fell down his cheeks. "What if we can't play basketball like we did last night? Or what if I can't carry him up to bed like I did last night? And what about when we have more kids? What if I can't do that stuff with them? What kind of dad would I be? I would be useless."

"You listen to me, Nathan Scott. You will never be useless to your family. You will not be useless. If you decide to play basketball and you get hurt, you will not be useless. As long as you love us, you're not going to be useless."

He nodded. He sniffled and wiped a tear from his eyes.

"Haley, I can't do it," he repeated what he said just moments earlier. "I can't take that risk. I can't lose that with this family. It's not… it's not worth it."

Haley flung herself into Nathan's arms, both of them still letting a few tears fall.

"Be sure about this, Nathan."

"I am. I've been thinking about it all night."

"Nathan, this is your dream. You're saying your dream isn't worth it. You have to be sure about this."

He broke their hug, but kept holding her hands. "I've lived without basketball for months now. Almost a year. I know I can do it. I don't ever want to lose anything with you and Sam. It kills me to think I might not be able to do everything with you guys. It's just… it's not worth it, Hales."

"If you're sure you know I'm here with you for everything. I told you, I'm going to love you if you pick up garbage and I'll even be your sugar momma."

Nathan managed a small laugh. Having told Haley how he was feeling, he felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He had told her everything. She knew every fear he had. He had thought about it after he and Sam played the night before. He thought about it even more after tucking Sam in at night.

Basketball was his first love. But the high he got from playing didn't compare to the high he got from being with Haley and from being Sam's father. Nothing compared to that.

"You're sure?"

He nodded and pulled her in for a hug. "Our family is worth everything to me. Nothing means more."

* * *

Nathan spent the next few days informing people close to him of his decision. It had been hardest explaining it to Sam. Sam loved that Nathan played basketball. He loved wearing his dad's jersey and cheering him on as he played. Nathan had needed Haley's assurance that he wasn't Sam's hero just because he played basketball. He was Sam's hero because he was the first man to take on the role of father in Sam's life. He would be the only man taking on that role. As long as he was a good father to Sam, he would be the boy's hero.

Everyone had supported Nathan's decision. They were there for him and offered him their encouragement. Haley was by his side through everything. He had made a huge decision about his life. He chose to step away from something that had been a constant in his life. He was now going to have to rebuild his life.

As Haley had told him months earlier, he wasn't just great at playing basketball, he was great at being a father and fiancé to Haley. He was great with them. He was a great brother to Lucas and he was a great friend.

A part of Nathan was scared for what was going to come next. His plans had always revolved around basketball and now he definitely knew that was gone. He had plans. He had plans to marry Haley, be a father to Sam, and eventually to expand their family. Now, it wasn't his job coming first in his life. His family came first. This was the family that he knew Lucas had and that he hadn't even realized he wanted. Basketball had been a way of life. His family wasn't a way of life, it was his life. That was his salvation through this.

After telling Sam, the hardest thing he had to do was announce to the public that he would be retiring. He had to call a press conference. Clay explained that he could put it off until he was feeling better. Nathan wanted to get it over with. The sooner it was done, the sooner he could get on with his life. Clay had described it as his new life, but it wasn't really new. It was the life he'd been living since he first committed to his recovery after the accident. It was one that he knew he could do.

He began realizing that he had hope all along. There had been some glimmer of hope the entire time he was recovering. That hope was gone, but he wasn't hopeless. He had been recovering and he knew now that in the back of his mind, it was with the goal of proving the doctors wrong and being able to play again. He had done that. They were shocked by his recovery. He had defied the odds. He had just never considered what they told him.

He faced the press at the Staples Center. Sam was off to the side with Brooke and Peyton. Unlike the last press conference he held, this time no one from the team was with him. It was just Nathan and Haley there. He could have done it alone, but he asked Haley to be there with him. She agreed without hesitation. She was happy to do it. Neither would have dreamed of having Sam up there, though. They wanted him to have his privacy. He was just a kid.

So, Nathan, with Haley at his side, announced to the public that he was retiring from professional basketball. He had explained a bit of what the doctor told him. He had explained that he couldn't risk not having a full life with his family. He had explained that his family was the most important thing in his life, that they would always come first.

He decided not to take any questions after his announcement. He and Haley silently walked off the stage amidst a flurry of flashes and questions being thrown at them. They said nothing. Hand in hand, they left the podium and headed to their loved ones.

* * *

"You're very brave," Haley told him when they were side by side in their bed that night. "I'm very proud of you, Nathan."

"I didn't do anything."

"Yes, you did. Nathan, you're committing to rebuilding your life."

"No, I'm not. Hales, I already had this life. I've had this life. This has been my life for months now and it's the life I want. I'm not rebuilding anything."

"Can I tell you something?"

"You can tell me anything, Hales."

"I was thinking about how much you were gone when you were playing. I know you love the game. I know how much you love playing. But there's a selfish part of me that's glad you won't be going anywhere and that you're staying right here with me. Those two nights I was in Tree Hill, I didn't sleep as well as I do when you're next to me."

Nathan kissed her forehead. "I'm glad I'm not going anywhere either. I thought of that. I thought about leaving you and Sam when we have away games. I don't want that. I don't want to miss anything with you guys. So, that's okay. I'm happy about that too."

They were quiet for a little bit.

"Guess I'm gonna have to find a new job," Nathan mused.

"Nah.

"No?"

"No. I told you. I'm you're sugar momma."

Nathan laughed. "You know, Lucas made me invest. I have my money more than saved."

"Can I still pretend I'm your sugar momma?" Haley sat up and straddled Nathan's lap. She leaned in and kissed him.

"Yeah, if you want to do that, we can do that," Nathan smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

**Note:** I don't know how accurate the medical stuff is. I didn't look it up at all. It's just what fit for the story. So, there you have it. Nathan is done with basketball. It felt like the right thing to do. Thanks for reading and reviewing. :)


	54. Chapter FiftyThree

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Well, after all the drama and heaviness of the last chapter, this one is different. This chapter is actually pretty smutty. Enjoy! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

* * *

Brooke looked at the quarterly reports for her company. With all of the wedding planning in the past two months, she had almost been neglecting her own company. Luckily, she had a great team working with her. Now that almost everything for Haley's wedding was completely planned, Brooke was focusing on her work.

Haley and Nathan had taken over their wedding planning. When they announced they were engaged, Brooke had gone crazy with helping them plan. She couldn't help it. She was excited about Haley finding someone and getting engaged. She couldn't think of anyone who deserved it more than Haley. Since the holidays, though, Nathan and Haley had immersed themselves in wedding planning in addition to everything else going on in their lives. Brooke was happy to see it. Even though she loved helping them plan it, she was glad they were doing it themselves. It was their wedding. The only thing Brooke had control over was dressing the wedding party.

One thing Brooke was happy to help with was acting as a contact person for everything involved with the wedding. Florists, minister, party rentals – everyone had to contact Brooke, who would then speak with Haley and Nathan.

Peyton was in charge of music. Mia was going to perform, but they were also planning on having a DJ. The DJ would simply be there to change the music when it was necessary. Peyton had planned out every song that would play. She knew Haley would approve. It was music the two of them shared. They were often on the same page when it came to their music. Peyton was picking songs that would be romantic for the wedding, but also some songs that would keep the mood light and the party going.

Brooke continued looking through the projections for the next quarter. Numbers weren't her strong suit, but she worked hard. She paid very close attention to the finances of her company. Haley and Peyton had once found her with an old business math textbook and although they had laughed, they were both proud of her. Brooke did everything she could to make sure her company was a success. It was one thing to design great clothes. She also had to keep the company afloat financially.

She was calculating an estimate of how much money the company would be bringing in by the end of the year when she heard a soft knock on her door.

"Come in," she said without looking up.

"Brooke." His voice was quiet. It was almost like he didn't want to be seen there.

She looked up and was surprised to see Nathan. He scooted into her office without opening the door completely. He looked over his shoulder to see if anyone noticed him. He shut the door behind him and closed the blinds.

"What's going on? Am I missing something?" Brooke saved her files and gave her attention to her best friend's fiancé.

"I need your help," Nathan whispered.

"Nathan, you don't have to whisper. Barely anyone is here today."

"I don't want anyone to know I'm here," he confessed, his voice now at a normal volume.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want Haley to know I'm here," he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Brooke folded her hands together and put them on top of her desk.

Nathan tapped his foot on the carpet of Brooke's office and began playing with the zipper on his jacket. He looked around and smiled at the pictures on the wall. He always loved seeing the pictures from Haley's past. He was so grateful to Peyton and Brooke for being in her life.

"I can't dance," he admitted.

"What?" Brooke stared at him as if he had suddenly grown a second head.

"I need your help, Brooke. I can't dance. The wedding is in two and a half months and I can't dance."

Brooke laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.

"It isn't funny," he whisper yelled.

"I know. I know, I'm sorry, Boy Toy."

Nathan almost told her not to call him that, but he thought better of it. He was here for her help. "Brooke, I want to dance with my wife. I don't wanna step on her feet while I do it. She tried teaching me a few months ago and it was going okay, then I stepped on her feet. I know she wouldn't mind, but I want the day to be perfect."

Brooke smiled softly at him. He looked upset about his dancing skills. It was adorable. "Okay. I'll help you out. Let me call in the cavalry."

"No, Brooke! I want to surprise Haley!"

Again, Brooke laughed at him. "Don't worry about it, Nathan. I'm just getting Peyton. She'll keep your secret." Brooke typed a quick text message to Peyton. "By the way, I think it's adorable that you're spending your birthday trying to get yourself some dance lessons. Happy birthday, Nathan."

"Thanks. It's just… Haley's at work now and Sam's at school. I know she works in this building, but it seemed like the best time. You know, two and a half months before, so maybe that's time for me to not suck."

"I'm sure you're not that bad," Brooke tried to console him.

"So," Peyton opened the door to Brooke's office, "you text me saying wedding surprise for Haley, don't tell her, and order me to get over here. What's up? Hey, Nathan. Happy birthday."

"We're going to the closet," Brooke announced. "Did you bring your iPod, P. Sawyer?"

"You told me to."

Brooke walked them all from her office to the closet a few doors down. Nathan had been in here before. Whenever Brooke needed to get his measurements for a tuxedo, she did it in here. She would have him strip to his boxers and would measure him. His size hadn't changed. He thought Brooke did it just to mess with him. She insisted it was because he wouldn't have a poor fitting tux if he was taking Haley out. He actually agreed with her. He wanted to look his best when he was with Haley.

When they got into the room, Brooke began moving the racks of clothes toward the walls, clearing an open space for them. Seeing what she was doing, Nathan began helping her. He was glad the room had walls that weren't made of glass. One wall was a mirror. Brooke had shut the door behind them.

"Now, the problem here is that Nathan can't dance," Brooke explained. "So, we need your music expertise. Now, what song will be playing for their first dance?"

"We haven't really decided," Nathan answered. "We have it down to three. We're trying to decide."

"They're three great songs. 'Lie in the Sound' by Tresspassers William, 'Hold You in My Arms' by Ray LaMontagne, and 'More Than Anyone' by Gavin DeGraw," Peyton supplied.

"Okay, okay. Play one of those and we'll see what we're working with," Brooke ordered.

Peyton went to the iPod dock in the corner and played the first song. Brooke stood in front of Nathan and held her hand up for him while placing the other on his shoulder.

"Take my hand."

"Can't I just put my hands on your waist and you put your arms around my neck? That's what Haley and me did when she tried teaching me."

"She was taking it easy on you," Peyton told him.

"You can't dance like that, Nathan. You aren't in junior high. You're going to dance like an adult. Now, give me your hand and put your hand on my waist so you're leading."

Nathan did as he was told. He stepped on Brooke's feet a few times, but she was patient. She worked with him on the steps and after a while, he was sort of getting the hang of it. He was getting the steps, but he was awkward. That would take some time. He needed to be able to do the steps without thinking about it. Right now, he was thinking about it. He was counting.

"Thanks for helping me out," Nathan said as he helped Brooke and Peyton finish putting the racks of clothes back.

"No problem. We'll get together and work some more," Brooke promised him.

"Hey, Peyton."

"Yeah, Nathan?"

"I wanted to say thank you. For what happened last year with the accident. I never really did. I've been thinking about it."

"I shouldn't have done it," Peyton admitted.

"No. I think I needed to hear it. I was going to get up and get off my ass. I was. I just… I needed to hear from someone else how much I was hurting her. I'm not gonna do that again. I promise."

"We know," Brooke told him. Peyton had explained everything that happened, including slapping Nathan. "You know, we've been rooting for you two all along."

"It's true. We just want her to know she's worth loving as more than just a friend. She needed that and she got it from you. I think that's why I was so mad at you for hurting her," Peyton explained.

"I kept picturing her like… like that. Like you told me," Nathan began to say. "I woke up for about a week seeing her like that. Nightmares. And I know it's worse for you guys since you really saw it. I'm just imagining it. She's just… she's beautiful and she's Haley and thinking about her like that."

"She's come a long way," Peyton assured him. "That was a lifetime away."

"But we know, Nathan. We won't ever forget what it was like. That first night especially."

"I know it sounds weird, but I couldn't be there for her," Nathan stated the obvious. "So, I'm glad you two were. I just want to be there for her even if I didn't know her then."

"It's not weird. You just love her and want to take care of her," Peyton gave him a smile and a nod. "How're you holding up with the basketball thing?"

Nathan looked down at his feet. "It's okay. I mean, life is the same as it was before, right? And I have Haley and Sam. I'm fine. It's just now I have to get used to knowing I can't play."

"You're right," Brooke said. "You've got Haley and Sam."

"Best cheerleaders you could ever hope for," Peyton added. "Now, get out of here. Aren't you two having dinner tonight for your birthday?"

"Yeah." Nathan smiled. It would be his first birthday with his family. Last year, he'd been in Miami for a game. He missed so much with them last year. "I think I'll stop and see her first. Mind if I tell her you wanted a last minute tux fitting?"

Brooke shook her head. Nathan nodded at them both before leaving.

He found Haley behind her desk on the phone. In front of her were various forms and papers. She looked up at him when he walked in and her expression brightened immediately.

"Hey, I didn't know you were coming by."

"Thought I'd see about grabbing lunch."

"I'm just on the phone with the insurance company. I've been trying to get all three of us on the same policy and get Sam's name changed. I thought it was settled, but there was a problem my prescription going through," she said.

"Prescription?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, that. Is it okay?"

She nodded. "It takes a while for it to get out of the system after being on it for a while. Besides, I only missed two days."

"Need any help?"

"No, but I could use a break. Lunch sounds great." She hung up the phone. She had been on hold for ten minutes and it was getting her nowhere. He was a welcome distraction. He was always a welcome distraction.

* * *

That night, Nathan and Haley walked back into their house. They'd had a nice dinner. The three of them had gone to a quiet Italian restaurant together. It was small and hidden and they weren't seen. It was the nicest birthday that Nathan had ever had. He got to have dinner with the two people who mattered most. It was quiet and it was perfect. Sam had made him a card and had gotten him a new whistle for coaching the Crows the next year. Haley had gotten him a new watch. The gifts weren't what was important. What was important was his family.

Sam had a sleepover that night. It was Friday, so he was at Andre's with a few of his other Crows teammates. Nathan and Haley had dropped him off before heading back home on their own. Nathan had offered to make sure that everything downstairs was at locked up for the night. When he turned off the lights and double checked everything, he went upstairs to their bedroom. Haley was still in the bathroom, so he laid on their bed, staring up at the ceiling. Without getting up, he kicked off his shoes and used his toes to get his socks off.

"You're not tired, are you?" Haley had emerged from the bathroom.

"No," he stayed where he was. "Just comfortable."

"Good," she said. "Because you still have one more birthday present." Her tone had gone from concerned to seductive.

Nathan sat up and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. His jaw definitely fell open. Standing in the doorway of the bathroom was his incredibly beautiful and sexy fiancée. She was wearing a black bra that barely contained her breasts. She had a black thong on with a garter holding up a pair of stockings. Nathan had noticed the stockings earlier in the night. He had noticed, because she didn't usually wear them. Now he knew why she was wearing them. He immediately felt the blood in his body traveling downward.

Her hair was down and she was smiling at him.

"One more present?"

She nodded and began walking to him, her hips swaying. "You get to unwrap it and then we can do anything you want. Anything," she repeated, "you want." She stopped when she was directly in front of him. He was sitting up at the edge of their bed and he grabbed her by the hips. His calloused hands sent shivers throughout her body.

"Anything?"

"Anything you want. I'm all yours, Nathan." She knew this could lead to them doing things they had never done before. She was counting on it and she wanted it. Whenever she made love to him, she knew how much she wanted everything with him. She trusted him completely and when they made love, she knew that he only wanted her to feel pleasure.

Hungrily, he attached his lips to hers. His hand went up her back, feeling the smooth skin and sending chills throughout her body. His fingers went underneath her bra strap and he pushed her closer to him so she was standing between his legs.

"You're beautiful, Hales," he said, still kissing her.

"Let's get you more comfortable," she told him. Not breaking their kiss, she began unbuttoning his shirt. When it was completely open, she let her finger nails lightly scratch down his chest. He felt himself get harder and so far all they were doing was kissing. But he knew what was coming. Haley had an effect on him. She could get him hard in record time. He put his hands back on her hips, feeling the skin above the waistband of her thong. He brought her closer so that she could feel his erection through his pants.

Haley pulled back and smiled. She looked down and could see through his pants just how much he wanted her. She pushed his shirt back off of his shoulders, getting it off of him. Next, she went to work on his pants. He sat up so he could help her get them off. As soon as he was completely naked, she looked up at him.

"Lay back," she ordered.

"I thought you said we could do what I wanted."

"You don't want this?" She smiled. She could tell he did. She didn't need him to lay down. She got on her knees, kneeling in front of him. She kept smiling and kept looking up at him. His erection was right in front of her and she ran a finger from the base to the tip. She felt him shudder. She brought her eyes to it and licked her lips before lightly blowing on him. She took him in her mouth. She couldn't fit all of him, but she tried getting as much as she could.

Nathan shut his eyes as he felt his fiancee's warm mouth on his hardened member. He used every ounce of strength he had to keep still as she sucked on him. She used her tongue, as well. She swirled it over the top as she bobbed up and down. She held onto his thighs.

"Fuck, Hales." He tried opening his eyes so he could watch as she sucked him off. Her teeth grazed over the underside of him and he was close to losing it. It wasn't long before he was spilling down her throat and crying out her name.

Haley didn't give blow jobs often. This was actually only the third time. The first time, she had been unsure of herself. He seemed to enjoy it, though. In fact, he'd told her that she was amazing at it. He had said that he knew she had a talented mouth. She seemed to be getting more and more comfortable with it and she loved how much he enjoyed it. She also found it a turn on.

Nathan was now laying flat on his back on their bed. He was trying to catch his breath. His eyes were closed and he kept them closed when he felt Haley slide up next to him and kiss him. She used her tongue to part his lips and began moving her tongue with his.

"Tired?" It was her turn to smirk.

"Hell no."

They moved so they were at the head of their bed. Nathan leaned against the pillows and pulled her toward him, so she was laying on his chest. She sat between his legs and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Now you're wearing too much," he commented.

"You don't like?"

"I like, Hales. I like a lot."

Haley turned her head and leaned up to kiss him. Again, they soon found their tongues in each others mouths. Nathan snaked his arm around Haley and began massaging her breasts through her black lace bra. He could feel her hardened nipples and gave one a pinch. He moved his hand and reached inside her bra so he could feel her breasts more completely. With the hand not on her breast, he reached between their bodies, undid the clasp, and threw the lace material aside.

With one hand, he continued to fondle her breasts. Haley's arms went up over her head to go around his neck. They were still kissing. The hand that he didn't have on her breast he moved lower and lower down her stomach. He reached into her panties and cupped her womanhood. He could feel just how wet she was for him. She was nearly dripping as he dipped two fingers into her folds.

"Nathan," she moaned. "More. I need more of you."

He began moving his hips and she could feel against her back that he was hard again. She began thrusting against his hand as he worked her through with his fingers, filling and stretching her. It wasn't enough and she wanted another part of him inside of her.

The hand that was above her head and around his neck as now in his hair, urging him on. She ground her rear into his cock and he groaned into her mouth.

"You have a serious ass, Haley James."

She stopped kissing him and managed to look into his eyes as his fingers continued to slide in and out of her. "Do you want it?"

She had to try to think quickly, which was difficult considering how good he was making her feel. It just wasn't enough.

His fingers stilled and he pulled them from inside her panties. She instantly missed him. He wanted to be sure he'd heard her correctly.

"What?"

"Anything you want. For your birthday. I need you in me, Nathan. I need you in me and if you want to… I want to try it with you. If you don't want to do it tonight, I still want to try it with you sometime."

"Are you sure?" He was getting excited. He loved Haley's ass. He loved watching her from behind. He also loved the idea of being able to see her tattoo as he was making love to her.

"I'm sure." She turned her body so she was facing him more. She moved from between his legs. His erection was almost pointing completely upward. She looked at him nervously.

"You're sure?"

She had to fight back a laugh. He was always so concerned. "Nathan, I'm nervous. But I'm not scared. I told you; I want everything with you. So, if you want to…"

The two of them switched positions. He knew he was going to have to get her completely naked for this. Slowly, so that she'd have time to change her mind if she wanted, he undid the clasps holding up her stockings and slid them down her legs. Next came her panties, which were so wet. She was so wet that he knew they wouldn't need any kind of help for that they were about to do. He took her face lovingly in his hands and kissed her before whispering. "Turn around and get on your hands and knees. If you want to stop, we'll stop."

She nodded and then kissed him. She turned and got on her hands and knees. She could feel the anticipation and she wanted him so much. She was excited about trying this with him. She was sure he had done it before, but she quickly pushed those thoughts from her mind as he ran his hands over her ass.

Nathan used his finger to lightly trace the "23" on her lower back. She really was wet. He ran a finger between her cheeks and could feel her ready for him.

"You can still say no, Hales."

"I need you inside me, Nathan. Go ahead. I want this."

Slowly and gently, he slipped himself inside her. "You're so tight, Hales. So tight and warm." He stilled himself once he was completely inside her, wanting her to get used to this new feeling.

Haley felt discomfort. It was definitely different than what they'd done before. But it also felt good. "Nathan, I need you," she purred as she pushed herself against him, trying to get him to move. Slowly, he pulled out of her and groaned as he thrust back in. He did it again, but his thrusts were slow and deliberate. He leaned over Haley's back as he thrust into her and used one hand to support his weight while grabbing her breast with the other hand. He kissed the back of her neck and nibbled on her ear as he thrust in and out of her. She began to join him in his thrusting.

"Harder, Nathan. Faster," she pleaded.

He did as asked as he pumped into her. He moved his body off of hers so he could hold onto her hips as he thrust into her. He could tell she was close, he reached around her and inserted a finger into her. He rubbed her clit with his fingers and after a few more thrusts, both of them came crashing together.

Spent, Haley collapsed on her stomach with Nathan still inside of her. He moved off of her, not wanting to crush her. A few strands of hair were sticking to her sweat slicked forehead. Nathan moved them away and kissed her.

"You didn't have to do that," he said.

"I wanted to. And I'm glad we did, Nathan."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I'm glad we did. I liked it." She turned on her side so that she was facing him completely. He did the same. His arm wrapped around her waist. "I know you've done a lot of stuff I haven't. A lot of the time I don't know if I'm doing it right. But I want to do everything with you. You make me feel brave and beautiful and sexy."

Not saying a word, he kissed her. It wasn't as heated as their kisses earlier, but it was still intense. "You are brave and beautiful and sexy. And everything you and I have ever done together making love has been right. I can't get enough of making love to you. So, I get why you have doubts. But don't, Hales. Don't. You're perfect. I've never been as satisfied as when I'm with you."

"See, there you go making me feel brave and beautiful and sexy." She moved closer and wrapped her leg around his thigh. "Good birthday?"

"Great birthday. The best. And not just because of what we've been doing since we got home. Although that's been pretty damn great."

"Well, I just wanted to show you how happy I am that you were born."

"It's pretty damn great being born when I get to spend life with you."

Haley used her leg as leverage and moved him so that he was on top of her. She kissed him and let her fingers play with the hair at the nape of his neck. Nathan used one hand to hold himself up and the other trailed down the length of Haley's body. One of her knees was up, allowing him space between her thighs. She had one hand over his heart.

"We're getting married in two months," he said.

"We are," she agreed. "We're getting married. We're going to spend the rest of our lives together," she smiled.

"Always and forever." She felt him getting hard again against her thigh. She reached down and ran her fingers over his length and squeezed a little. He shuddered and kissed her. He bent her knee more so that it was nearly at her shoulder as he entered her. As he had been previously, he was slow and deliberate in his movements.

Haley wanted to urge him to move faster and bring her to her release quicker. She also loved when he took his time. It was slow and torturous, but it was a beautiful sort of torture. It was always worth it. Knowing they could experience such pleasure for a longer period of time always made their orgasms more intense.

He nearly pulled completely out of her before pushing back in. Her other leg wrapped around his waist and her foot rested at the small of his back as he held onto her other thigh. They kept kissing as their hips moved together. Both were slow. Both knew they wanted this to last.

Nathan changed his angle. It was like he was reaching up inside of her and trying to hit every spot. His pelvic bone hit that bundle of nerves, causing her to moan loudly. In response, she clenched her muscles around his length. Their slow pace continued until Haley felt a tight coil in her stomach. Feeling herself getting closer, she gripped his shoulder, her nails digging into his skin.

He could tell what was coming. He could feel his own release coming. Finally, he quickened his pace knowing that they were both ready. Haley came first, screaming his name. She held onto him for dear life, knowing that the rest of her body had gone limp. After a few more thrusts, he came exploding inside of her. He rested his forehead on hers, catching his breath.

Though not hard anymore, he stayed inside of her. He knew she liked it and he did too. They were a perfect fit. Eventually, he did move, not wanting to crush her. He pulled their blankets over them and held her close.

"How about we do whatever you want for your birthday," he suggested.

She laughed. "We'll be living on a tour bus on my birthday," she reminded him.

"Oh. Right. Well, maybe we can stop at a hotel for the night. If you have a break in your schedule."

"I do, actually. I don't play on my birthday. Peyton and Brooke usually both come wherever I am for those shows. We have dinner with Sam. So, yeah. We can do that on my birthday. I'd like that. Anything I want, huh?"

"Anything. You'll be my wife by then."

"I can't wait to be your wife."

"I already feel like you are," he admitted.

Haley turned around so she could face him. She tried to hold back the tears, but his words were so sweet. In truth, they had been living as husband and wife for months. They did everything together. Every decision was made together. She let her lips linger over his, kissing him softly and with so much meaning.

* * *

**Note:** Well, I hope you enjoyed Nathan's birthday. He definitely did. So did Haley. I hope I can get another chapter up by next weekend. Thanks for reading. I also really love your reviews, so thanks for those!


	55. Chapter FiftyFour

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Notes:** This one is basically all one thing. No line breaks. Enjoy! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

* * *

Haley yawned and stretched in the small space provided by her seat. She lifted the plastic covering over the window and looked out. She could see the land beneath them. The houses were tiny, the land was green, and if she looked hard enough, she could see little cars driving through the highways. She had just woken up from a nap. She, Nathan, and Sam were headed to Tree Hill for the weekend. It was Memorial Day Weekend and Sam had Monday off from school. They were letting him miss Friday, but Haley wasn't really happy about it. She loved school and considered it such an important part of Sam's life.

The wedding was two weeks away, so the family was headed to North Carolina to finalize the wedding plans. That night, they would be having dinner with Karen, Keith, and Lily at their house. Deb would be joining them. Karen wanted to give them a preview of the menu they had discussed for the wedding. The family was looking forward to a nice, home cooked meal after having spent the day traveling.

Nathan and Haley would be spending almost all of Saturday going throughout town. They had to meet with the florist and they had to meet with the minister. Deb would be going with them for a lot of it to help out. They would also be overseeing a few last minute details at the spot on the beach where they were getting married. They had decided to have the reception at Deb's beach house. More specifically, they were having the reception at the beach.

They had met with a party planner in town who was a big help. She had everything they wanted for a small reception between their family and friends. Haley's family made up the bulk of their guest list. It consisted of her parents, her siblings and their families, and her grandparents. Nathan's family would be attending, of course. That meant Keith, Karen, and Lily. Royal and Mae were looking forward to it. Whitey was even coming. Not on the guest list was Dan Scott. No one had heard from him since he had visited Nathan that past August.

Haley looked to her right. Sam was in the middle seat and Nathan had the aisle. Sam's tray was down and he and Nathan were playing a game on his Nintendo DS. The two were quietly working, trying to figure out what they should do next to get to the next level. She smiled when she saw them and yawned again. She'd been feeling so tired lately. She knew it had to be because of how busy they were. She wouldn't get another chance to rest until after her tour. It would all be worth it. Their wedding and honeymoon, Nathan and Sam coming with her on tour. Everything was going to be worth it.

Haley had come to be very comfortable in Deb's beach house. She had stayed there two months earlier when she went to oversee some of the wedding plans. The beach house wasn't home, but it was homey. Deb definitely made her feel more than welcome. Haley had stayed in Nathan's room when she had been there. The room had him all over it. She had liked it when they were there over Thanksgiving. When she had been there without him, she felt a little better knowing that she was in his room.

Their plane landed in late afternoon. The airport was crowded, due to the holiday weekend. Most were heading to nearby Wilmington or were catching connecting flights to South Carolina. There would be some fireworks that night in Tree Hill. Nathan and Haley had promised to take Sam to see them. He was very excited, but Nathan and Haley weren't sure he would be awake. He was more tired than he realized. Traveling always made Sam a little tired. He would be fine the next day. His parents just weren't sure he'd still be awake for fireworks.

Haley had come to really like being in Tree Hill. It had all of the charm that Charlotte had, but on a much smaller scale. Since living her life in the spotlight, Haley had come to appreciate quiet places like this. Tree Hill reminded her a little of being in her own hometown. She was becoming very familiar with the town and its residences treated her like one of their own. A few had commented to her that it was nice to know that Nathan Scott was settling down. They said it with a twinkle in their eye, referring to the trouble Nathan got into as a kid.

Dinner with Karen, Keith, and Lily was wonderful. Nathan was in such a good mood being there with his family that he didn't even glare at Skills as often as he had on their last visit. He didn't realize Skills would be there and it was a little uncomfortable at first. But, his mom seemed happy. Given his own happiness, Nathan couldn't hold it against his mom.

"I hope you all enjoyed that," Karen said as she cleared the dishes.

"Let me help you with that," Haley offered, standing and collecting some of the plates on the table.

"No, no. You're a guest, Haley. Sit down."

"Karen, you cooked all of this for us. The least I can do is help you out," Haley insisted.

Karen couldn't stop her and Haley was walking from the dining room to the kitchen, helping collect dishes and putting them to the sink for washing. She was about to help Karen with dessert when the older woman did actually stop her.

"Haley, Nathan said earlier that you've been running around ragged for a bit and that you're tired. You spent your day on a cramped airplane. Go, relax. I can take care of this."

When Haley went back to the dining room, she scooted her chair closer to Nathan so that she could rest on his shoulder. In addition to the activities of the day, the meal Karen had prepared was also making Haley tired. Karen had made prime rib and macaroni and cheese. Both Haley and Nathan's favorite dishes. They tasted wonderful. They knew their wedding guests would be pleased. Karen was also planning a salad, grilled salmon, and a few other dishes.

Haley was grateful for the food. She had eaten a light breakfast, but had gotten sick at the airport before they boarded their plane. Not only had Haley been feeling tired, but she had also been feeling nauseated for the past few days. She was having trouble keeping her food down. After vomiting and not wanting to eat the snacks on the plane, Haley was starving by the time Karen put dinner in front of them. She ate everything on her plate.

Nathan had noticed that Haley had been feeling sick. She hadn't told him after getting sick at the airport, but he could tell something was going on. She was slightly more pale when she returned and she looked a little queasy. He had noticed it the days before when it had happened. She had assured him that it was just a bug and that it would go away. She was planning on taking a few days off from work so she could recover. She promised him she would not be sick on their wedding day.

Nathan watched as she ate her dinner. It was kind of cute how hungry she was. She enjoyed every bite of every dish she had. It had been the same two days earlier. After she'd gotten sick, they ordered pizza. Haley had eaten more than she usually had. It was like she was making up for what she'd thrown up. Still, Nathan was curious. It was like she would be sick one moment, but fine the next.

Back at Deb's that night, they curled up in bed, the navy blue sheets covering them both. With the spring breeze and the sound of the ocean coming in, they slept with the French doors open. It was peaceful with the sound of the waves and the smell of the sea water.

Haley was curled up to Nathan. They slept every night in almost the same way. They were constantly touching. Nathan had his arms around her and she almost always had her arm over his arm. They were in each other's arms; that was how they slept best. They were content that way.

Nathan hadn't realized how tired he was. They had come back to Deb's with Sam. Sure enough, he had fallen asleep before the fireworks began. Deb was staying with Skills that night, so Nathan, Haley, and Sam had the house to themselves. They were too tired to do much. Instead, they just went straight to sleep.

Haley couldn't remember the last time the sight of a bed was so welcoming. When she and Nathan crawled into bed, she fell asleep almost immediately. It was several hours later when she was woken up by a familiar feeling. She felt it in her stomach, then in her throat. Before she could feel it in her mouth, she gently pried herself from Nathan's arms and went to the bathroom. She closed the door and turned on the sink, hoping that the running water would mask the sound of her retching. Sure enough, the prime rib and macaroni and cheese were making a reappearance.

When Haley was sure her stomach was empty, when she was sure nothing else could possibly come up, she leaned against the wall just opposite the toilet. The coolness of the tile on the floor was welcome to her. Her forehead was slightly damp with sweat caused by vomiting. She closed her eyes and breathed, wanting to calm down before heading back to bed.

Nathan had noticed that Haley had left the bed. He heard her go in the bathroom and he heard the sound of water. He was hoping that she was going to the bathroom, but he could hear what was going on. This had been going on for too many days and he had a feeling. He needed to speak with Haley, so he got up out of bed. His bare feet barely made a sound and the sound of the faucet kept his approach even quieter.

He found her with her eyes closed and her head back against the wall. She looked small and weak. He turned off the tap and sat down next to her. Both of them had their knees bent. Haley had her hands on the ground at her sides and Nathan picked up the one closest to him and gave it a squeeze. He kissed her on the temple before speaking.

"You got sick again?"

She nodded.

"You okay?"

Again, she nodded.

Nathan looked down at their hands. Their fingers were intertwined. A perfect fit.

"Hales. I don't know a lot, but I know some stuff. You've been sick for a few days now. When you're not sick, you're hungry. You're really tired."

"I know," she answered.

He paused and thought about how to continue. They had gotten so good at communicating with each other, so Nathan knew that they could have this conversation. They needed to have it.

"Hales. Are you late?"

Slowly, she opened her eyes and turned her head slightly to look at him. He could have sworn it looked like tears were forming.

"Yes," she whispered. "Sometimes, with birth control, it can make a woman irregular. I was thinking it might be that."

"Yeah, but with everything else, Hales." He rested his head on the top of hers. He had been thinking this for two days now. He hadn't expected to have this conversation with her while sitting on a bathroom floor in the middle of the night with him in just his boxers and her in a tank top and pajama pants. "Hales, do you think you might be pregnant?"

This time, a tear did escape. Nathan watched as it rolled down her perfect cheek, still pale from the affects of vomiting. "I might be," she answered. She finally looked at him completely. She wiped her eyes and shook her head. She cleared her throat. "I've been thinking about it. I just, I feel a little different. I've been getting sick, but I'm starving. I'm tired. At first, I thought it was just the wedding plans and the album. But, I'm late. So, putting it all together.

"I just… last time I wasn't even really looking for it. It was just… everything about it was different. This is so different. I hate not knowing. I hate having to wait until Tuesday before I can even call my doctor to find out for sure, Nathan."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and moved closer to her. "I guess if we went to one of those clinics that we'd be spotted. We don't really want that."

"No," she chuckled a little. "I've been nervous about it for a couple of days now. I thought of taking a test, but then I might have been seen. Then I wasn't sure I really wanted to take a test. What if it's just a bug? What if I'm just sick and I need an antibiotic or something? I just hate not knowing."

Nathan hated seeing her like this. He hated seeing her sick and he hated seeing her worried. He looked down at her and was glad that she was leaning on him. He was glad he finally said something and that she'd been thinking the same thing.

"Will you be okay if I'm gone for thirty minutes?"

Haley had closed her eyes again, but looked up at him. "Where are you going?"

"I'm just gonna run down to the store. It'll be okay, I won't be spotted. We need to know, right? And if you're not, we need to know how to fix it. The sooner the better. Honestly, Hales, I've been thinking about this and it's been driving me crazy not knowing. I know it's driving you crazy not knowing."

She chewed on her lower lip. "I'll be fine, Nathan."

He kissed her before getting up to put some clothes on. While he was gone, Haley tried to keep her mind off of things. She was relieved that he had said it before she did. She was worried. She didn't know how he would take it. She still didn't know how he would react if there was a baby on the way. She wanted to have his baby. She wanted that so much, but they had discussed waiting. They were on birth control for a reason.

She couldn't keep her mind off of things. She paced. Walking back and forth, her mind was reeling. She could possibly be pregnant. She let Nathan go to the store to get a pregnancy test for himself. She knew they weren't always accurate and she wasn't going to believe it until she heard it from a doctor. She had told Nathan that she knew she was going to have to wait to call the doctor on Tuesday and that's what she was going to have to do.

She was on the balcony, watching the water. The moon reflected off of the surface. It was the only light that could be seen for miles. The fresh air was helping to calm her stomach and she felt a few pangs of hunger. Her hand had made it to her stomach, but she dropped it quickly. She was leaning against the railing of the balcony and chewing on her lip when Nathan returned.

"Hey," he said, getting her attention.

Haley turned around. She ran a hand through her hair. Her dark locks were longer than they usually were. She was going to get it trimmed about a week before the wedding. Haley wrapped her arms around herself.

"Amazing. A small town like Tree Hill has a twenty-four hour store," she commented.

"Yeah," Nathan said. "Grocery store with self-checkout." He removed the baseball cap from his head. He had worn it to try to conceal his identity. Luckily, no one had been around. He held up a plastic grocery bag. It had more than a pregnancy test in it. "I also got a few other things. If someone saw me, I wanted to have other things with me so they wouldn't notice the tests."

Haley had caught that extra S. "Tests?"

He nodded and looked nervous. "Yeah, I got four. I also got you a Snickers, since you love those, and I got Sam some of those Toy Story band aids he likes. I also got you some of that bottled iced tea you like in case you don't have to pee."

Despite the seriousness of their situation, Haley couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her lips. He'd thought of everything.

"Can I have the tea?" Haley stepped back into the room from the balcony.

Nathan pulled the tea from the bag, twisting the cap off, then handing it to her. He watched her as she brought the plastic bottle to her lips and took a drink. She was staring it him. Their eyes were locked on each other.

"You think I could have that Snickers, too?"

Nathan smiled and handed her the candy. He knew that Snickers were a weakness for her. She had a hard time resisting them. If she was pregnant, he wanted her to have everything she wanted to eat. Whatever foods she was craving or felt she needed, he would get them for her. He also knew that the past few days, after she'd gotten sick, she was hungry.

"You got four?" She spoke between bites of chocolate.

"I just… I just wanted us to be sure."

Haley sighed. She was now standing right in front of him. "Nathan, these aren't full proof. There's room for error."

"Yeah, but they're mostly accurate, right?" He wanted to know. He didn't want there to be any mystery.

"Nathan, back in high school, we had a scare. With Brooke. She doesn't like talking about it. I don't even know if she's told Julian and we don't mention it. She took three of those things. Three, Nathan. Two of them came out positive. Now, you know Brooke doesn't have a child. It's called a false positive. Peyton and I took her to the Planned Parenthood clinic. That test was negative. She wasn't pregnant.

"So, this might tell us something. But, Nathan it could also be wrong. So, either way, I'm going to call the doctor on Tuesday morning. First thing."

"Do you even want to take these, Hales?"

"Yeah. I actually do. I've been thinking about this for days and I need to feel like I'm doing something. I know it doesn't make a lot of sense since I don't even fully trust these things." She took another drink of her iced tea. Seeing what was left in the bottle, she saw that about three fourths of the bottle was still full. She threw her head back and drank it all quickly. She knew the faster she did, the quicker it would show up again and she could take those tests.

They were waiting for the first test. It was sitting on the bathroom counter and Nathan and Haley were sitting on the edge of the bathtub waiting. It would take five minutes for the results to show up. The test claimed it was 99% accurate when used correctly. Nathan looked at Haley. She was biting her lip again and clutching the edge of the bathtub. Her knuckles were white, her grip was so tight. They almost matched the fiberglass of the tub.

Nathan was nervous. He could feel his stomach twisting in knots. This was not how he imagined doing this with Haley. He wanted this with Haley. He wanted it so much. He didn't like that she seemed so nervous, though. This wasn't going as they'd planned. They hadn't talked about when they would consider having more children. They both wanted it. But, they weren't even married yet.

Ever since his accident, Nathan knew he could rely and hold onto Haley. They could hold onto each other. They were there for each other. It was such a comfort to him. She was such a comfort to him. She had shown him that he was a comfort to her, as well. With that in mind, Nathan took his hand from resting on his knee and laced his fingers with hers.

Haley looked at him and sighed. She offered a small smile, but it wasn't a real smile.

"So," Nathan felt the need to break the silence. It was as if he could hear a clock ticking, even though there wasn't a clock in the bathroom. "Was it like this with Brooke? The waiting?"

Haley shook her head. "No. Brooke was freaking out. I mean, visibly freaking out. She picked up the test every ten seconds to see what it said."

"What… what about the guy?"

"Football team. Not a bad guy; not a great guy. They both got wasted at a party. She wasn't sure if they were safe and then she was late. She didn't even tell him after she found out she wasn't pregnant."

Haley looked over to the counter, then at her cell phone. It was sitting on top of the closed toilet seat. They were using it for the clock. It hadn't changed much since they first started timing it.

Haley saw Nathan's brow furrowed. He looked deep in thought. She felt her stomach lurch, but not from nausea. She had been worried for days about how she would tell him about this. She was nervous.

"We didn't plan on this. I'm sorry."

Nathan focused his attention on her. He could see tears forming in her eyes once again. He lifted their hands that were joined and brought his other hand to them. Now, holding her hand in both of his, he brought it to his lips and placed a soft kiss on it. "What are you apologizing for?"

She thought before she answered him. She chose her words carefully.

"I'm taking these tests mostly because I need something to do, Nathan. I've been thinking about this for a few days now. We've been so busy. It seems like we're always so busy. I told you that Brooke was visibly freaking out. I've sort of been freaking out on the inside. You knowing helps a lot.

"I know I should have said something days ago. I really thought it was just the flu, or something. Then it kept on. And I'm late. And I've never done this before. I've never really thought that I might be… that I might be, well, pregnant. It wasn't like this last time at all.

"I won't believe it until I hear it from a doctor. I can't. I just need a doctor to tell me before I can be sure about it and before I react."

"You're not telling me what you're apologizing for, Hales."

She sniffled and a few tears escaped. "We didn't plan this. If we're pregnant, it's because of those days I didn't take my pill. We were supposed to talk about this and make this decision together. The pill isn't 100%, but it's supposed to work if you take it every day. I didn't take it every day. I just, I guess I assumed too much. I guess I wanted you too much. It was your birthday and I can't help how much I want you."

"I don't want you to help that," Nathan smiled.

Haley did smile, this time. She gave him a genuine smile before continuing. "Anyway. I should have thought of that. I should have, I don't know, gotten us some condoms or something for that night. We just didn't plan this. We were supposed to and we didn't. So, I'm sorry."

Nathan let go of her hand, placed his hands on either side of her face, and kissed her. He screwed his eyes shut tight, and kissed her. When he pulled away, he kept his hands on his face. "I'm not. Hales, I knew you weren't on the pill. I could have gotten condoms. I'm a big boy, I know how to protect us, but we both did it knowing what could happen. Even if we thought the pill would still be working.

"Hales, if there's a baby comin', that's okay. That's better than okay. Hales, I don't care if we didn't plan it. What's it matter? What matters is that we love each other and if we're gonna have a baby, it's because we love each other. I think it's great. I'm actually a little excited," he admitted.

Haley put her hand to his chest tentatively. "I love you so much. Just when I think you can't get any better, you do. But promise me something, Nathan."

"Anything. You know that."

"Don't get excited. I'm trying not to and I need you to try not to. Please, Nathan. Try not to get excited until we hear it from a doctor. Because if those say yes and the doctor tells us no… I don't want us to have that disappointment. I don't want that taken away from us. Can you do that for me?"

Nathan hadn't thought of it that way. He picked the tests that had the most accuracy, according to the boxes. As he'd made his trip to the store, he began thinking about how great it would be if he and Haley were going to be parents. He started imagining how beautiful she'd look when she was pregnant. He had seen pictures of her when she was pregnant with Sam, but there weren't very many from that time. He started thinking about doctor's appointments and how they would tell Sam.

Now that he was listening to Haley, he was wishing he hadn't thought of that. He didn't want to have that hope and then have it taken away. He thought if he did, he might be devastated. He didn't want to lose their child before even having him or her.

"Okay," he told her. "Okay. We'll wait for the doctor. First thing Tuesday morning?"

"First thing," she assured him. "I don't think I can handle waiting much longer."

"I love you, Hales. No matter what those tests say and what the doctor says. If we're not pregnant, then we'll just work on it when we decide we are ready. If we are having a baby, and we are ready. We'll have to be ready. I think we're ready. If we are, then you don't have anything to worry about. I'm here for everything," he reassured her.

She couldn't keep the tears that were softly coming. "I know that, Nathan. I know and that makes this so much easier than it would be otherwise. You being here makes all the difference and even though we didn't plan on this, the past few days since I first thought I might be pregnant, I knew that you'd be here for everything. I don't doubt you at all."

"I'm glad you don't." He brought her closer to him, his arm tightly and securely around her shoulders. He looked at her curiously when she began to move away from him.

"I have to go," she said. "The iced tea." She picked the phone off of the toilet seat without looking at it and removed the second test from its box. She read the instructions before taking the test. Any modesty was gone; she didn't mind that Nathan was in the bathroom while she peed on a stick.

"Five minutes," she told him, setting the test aside and flushing the toilet.

"What about the other one?"

"I don't have to pee. I'll wait for the third test."

"No. I mean what about the first one?"

During their conversation, both had forgotten to check the time. They were too immersed in talking.

Haley picked up her phone after washing her hands and this time actually looked at it. "It was ready three minutes ago."

Nathan stood up and stood next to her. Again, he took her hand in his. They looked at each other before Haley picked up the test and looked at it, together.

"Okay. Three more," he said.

"Three more," she repeated.

The waited. For the other three tests, they actually paid closer attention to the time so they would know when they were done. Within thirty minutes, they had taken four pregnancy tests. Three of them had the same result.

* * *

**Notes:** Yeah, I had to do that. I'll try to write the next chapter soon so you aren't left hanging too long. Thanks for reading and reviewing! I do read all of the reviews, so thanks for taking the time to say something. :)


	56. Chapter FiftyFive

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Notes:** I know. I left you guys in a cliffhanger. I don't reveal right away in this what those pregnancy tests said either. Anyway, I hope you like this. Thank you for reading and reviewing.

* * *

Nathan, Haley, and Sam had flown home on Sunday. They wanted the chance to relax before their week began. Nathan and Haley both knew that they wouldn't be relaxing. It just wouldn't be possible. They had taken four pregnancy tests and three of them said the same thing. They spent Saturday walking through Tree Hill and even though they were busy, both were still preoccupied by what they had done the night before.

They were tired when they arrived in Tree Hill and they were tired on Saturday as they went through town. They had gone back to sleep after taking those tests. They had slept in each other's arms, just as they had before Haley had woken up to be sick. It wasn't that they hadn't slept well. They just hadn't slept much longer after taking those tests. Before they fell back asleep, they laid in bed together. They just looked at each, not speaking. They said a lot without speaking. Both were so nervous about what was going on in their lives.

Sunday, they spent five hours on a plane. Haley was so grateful for Sam, more than she usually was. For the first hour of the flight he insisted that both of his parents play his game with him. That gave the couple something else to think about. The fact that it would be at least forty-eight hours before they got some answers was making things uncomfortable for them.

After that first hour it got more difficult. There was nothing to do but sit there and think. Haley was still tired, but she was too wound up to sleep. Nathan couldn't sleep either. He kept looking at his fiancée. They both knew what they were thinking. Both of their stomachs were in knots. Nathan hadn't been this nervous since he stood on Haley's doorstep after bringing Sam back after he and Andre had visited Nathan after the accident.

Nathan was pretty sure that Haley would bite a hole right through her lip with how much she was chewing on it. She was still trying to keep a brave face on, but when it was just the two of them she was letting her true feelings show. Before she had told him what she had been thinking, she had been trying to hide it. Now she didn't have to. It made Nathan nervous to see her so nervous, but he was glad she didn't have to hide it anymore and he was glad that she felt that comfortable around him. He had no reason to doubt that she did. Whenever she did something that showed her comfort and trust in him he couldn't help but be amazed and a little bit relieved.

Sunday night and Monday were both quiet days. The family stayed home with the intention of relaxing after their quick trip. Nathan and Haley spent the entire time with Sam. They took him to a movie and out to lunch. Sam had no idea what was going on between his parents. He just knew that he was having a good time. He got to do things with his mom and dad and it was something he'd gotten used to quickly. He had adjusted to having a family with two parents as if he had always had it.

* * *

When Tuesday morning finally arrived, Nathan awoke to find Haley already awake. She was sitting up against the headboard. He looked at the clock on the table next to the bed and saw that it was just before seven. He sat up next to her and kissed her on the cheek.

"They open at nine," she told him. "So, after we take Sam to school."

He nodded. "How are you feeling?" The past two days, she had still been vomiting. She had also still been very hungry.

Haley twirled the ring on her pinky finger. She covered her mouth with her hand. "I'm a little queasy."

"I'm sorry, Hales."

She shrugged it off.

"Stay in bed and relax until it's time to go, Hales. I'll take care of Sam." Nathan kissed Haley once more before getting out of bed.

Haley looked at the strong muscles of his back as he stretched after getting out of bed. She loved everything about him. She loved his back. It was so strong and capable. It was the back she had clung to while they made love.

She took a quick shower. She knew Nathan had offered to take care of getting Sam ready, but she still wanted to be around her family. With her hair slightly damp from the shower, she threw on some clothes quickly and walked down the hall to Sam's room. Nathan and Sam weren't in there, so she went downstairs.

She found them in the kitchen. Sam was at the table with a bowl of cereal and a few pieces of fruit. He was dressed and ready for school. Nathan was behind the kitchen counter in his boxers. He was making sure Sam's lunch was put together. She placed her hand on his back. She felt the muscles beneath her finger tips.

"I can finish," she told him.

"You sure?"

She nodded. "Go ahead."

He retreated upstairs, but was stopped when Haley spoke.

"Nathan. I love you."

"I love you too, Hales."

Nathan and Haley were driving home after taking Sam to school when nine o'clock came. Haley dialed the number for her doctor. Nathan looked to her for a second here and there, but kept his eyes focused on the road. Again, she was chewing on her lip.

"Hi," she said. "This is Haley James. I was wondering if I could get in for the next available appointment?"

Nathan listened, trying to find out what they were saying.

"Oh," Haley responded. "Oh, okay. Yeah, we can be there. Thank you." She ended the call and looked at Nathan. She could see the tension in his brow. She knew he was trying to hide it, but she could read him so easily. "We can go now."

"What?"

"They had a last minute cancellation as they were closing last night. They can take us right now if we get there quickly."

Nathan turned the car to go in the other direction. This was a lucky break for them. The sooner the better. After getting stuck in some light traffic, they parked the car in the underground garage and rode silently up the elevator.

Both silently worried that if anyone saw them, there might be speculation about why they were there. Nathan figured they could just lie and say it was a check up about his knee. People would believe that. The offices were abuzz with people beginning their work day, but no one paid any attention to the couple making their way quietly down the hall.

When they reached Haley's doctor, they signed in and took a seat, waiting to be called. They got another lucky break when the nurse called them in rather quickly. Haley got up to go to the back, where the exam rooms were, but Nathan stayed sitting down.

"Would you come with me?"

"You want me too?"

"Of course," Haley said.

Without hesitation, Nathan stood up and followed Haley and the nurse. The nurse weighed Haley, took her vital signs, and asked her a few questions regarding why they were visiting.

Nathan leaned against the wall of the exam room while Haley sat on the exam table. He looked around at the pastel colored wallpaper in the room. He wondered who designed these rooms. It was like they were trying to make the rooms look comfortable and welcoming, but that just wasn't possible with a doctor's office.

He looked at Haley. She sat with her ankles crossed. Her posture was stiff and her hands were in her lap. She was looking down at them, her eyes trained on her engagement ring. Nathan walked over to her. The room was small and it only took a few steps for him to get there.

"You look beautiful today," he told her.

"Yeah. Right."

"You look beautiful today, Hales. I love you." He leaned in and kissed her. They were interrupted when the doctor knocked softly before coming in the room. They pulled apart, but Nathan stayed by Haley's side.

"Hello, Haley. It's nice to see you." The doctor was a woman in her mid-fifties with dark blonde hair and a pair of plastic framed glasses resting on the bridge of her nose.

"Hi, Dr. Russell. This is my fiancé, Nathan."

"It's nice to meet you, Doctor." Nathan extended his hand and they shook.

"So, you think you might be pregnant." Dr. Russell took a seat on the stool opposite Haley. She had Haley's chart in her hand.

"Um. Yeah."

"What are your symptoms?"

"I've been nauseated and tired, but hungry. My breasts are a little sore. My period is late. It should have happened eight days ago. We, um, we took four home pregnancy tests. Three of them were positive. I missed four doses of my birth control because we were switching insurance companies since we're getting married. We want to be on the same plan and we had to change Sam's name since Nathan adopted him. There was a problem with my prescription and I know I should have just paid full price for it, but it's supposed to last for a bit once you've been on it for a few days. I'm rambling. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Haley. Sometimes, sperm can remain inside a woman for up to four days. So, the pill may have still been working when you had intercourse. But, if it wore off, it's still possible that the sperm and the egg met and you did end up fertilizing. It definitely sounds like you're pregnant. We'll draw some blood and take a urine sample. We'll get those sent to the lab right away and call you with the results. It could be by the end of the day or it could be tomorrow. It depends on how busy they are."

"That's it?" Nathan had thought this would be more complicated. He had been trying to stay quiet. He didn't want to get in the way of anything while Haley spoke with her doctor. But that seemed so simple.

"That's it. So, we'll get that blood drawn. I'll be back in a few minutes with what we need."

The tests went quickly and Nathan and Haley were soon on their way home. At home, they would spend more time waiting.

"Nathan, would you mind stopping at the hardware store before we go home?"

"Yeah, sure. What do we need?" They were at a red light, so he looked at her.

"I was thinking we could re-line all of the cabinets and drawers in the kitchen and reorganize everything," she told him.

"You want to keep busy," he stated. He wasn't questioning it. He was glad she had the idea, because he wanted them to keep busy too. They needed something to do until Sam came home from school. Then, he could help keep them busy. Hopefully, in that time, they would get that phone call they were waiting for.

"Yeah. Is that okay?"

He nodded and took his foot off of the brake when the light turned green. "I think it's a great idea. I'm glad you thought of it."

When they got home, they busied themselves immediately. Haley was glad she had told Peyton she was taking a few days off. Her illness was helpful now that she didn't have to explain her absence to her friends. Nathan let Haley take charge in their reorganizing. He was going to let her lead the way and he would help her with whatever she asked.

They first started with the higher cupboards and shelves. Haley had Nathan take out all of their dishes. She had the step ladder out and cleaned the shelves thoroughly before Nathan was put to work measuring so they could cut the lining just so that it fit perfectly.

Three hours later, they were still working. Their counters were filled with drawers and various plates, cups, and cutlery. Haley went to apply some glue to the bottom of a drawer before putting in the lining when she noticed she was out of glue.

"There's some more upstairs in the hall closet. It's with Sam's arts and crafts stuff," she explained. "I'll be right back." She was about to leave when Nathan stopped her.

"I'll get it," he offered. Without waiting for her to respond he turned and went upstairs. He went straight to the cupboard and found the glue quickly. Before going back downstairs, he went to the bathroom in their bedroom, setting the glue on his nightstand. He was drying his hands on his jeans after washing them when he noticed Haley standing in front of him in their room.

Haley clutched her cell phone in both hands and bit her lip. He looked so casual and nonchalant as he walked out of the bathroom, but what she was about to tell him was going to change his life. She looked into the blue eyes that she was always getting lost in and found herself getting lost again. She didn't want to be found when it came to those eyes. She wanted to drown in those eyes; they were always filled with such love. They were filled with trust, sometimes concern and worry, sometimes lust. But love was always there. Love was there now as he looked at her, confused.

She went to him. She went to this man that had become such an integral, vital part of her life. She needed him like she needed air. Without giving it any thought, just knowing that she needed to be next to him, she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Nathan could taste the salt from her tears on his lips as they kissed. His arms instinctively went around her and kissed her back, but he knew there was something behind this kiss besides just love and want. There was something else in the way it had happened. She had been staring at him and though he could read her well, he couldn't figure out what was going on. He didn't have enough time before she jumped into his arms and began kissing him.

He pulled away, but still held her close. He didn't say anything, but his eyes were questioning. He held her face in both hands, his thumb gently rubbing her cheek bone.

"Nice work, daddy," she told him.

Those three words hit him like a ton of bricks. Had he heard her right? He thought he had. Was she saying what he thought she was saying? What else could she mean? She couldn't have been talking about finding the glue. Why would she be congratulating him for doing that?

"They, did they?"

She nodded her head. "They called. We're pregnant. Oh, God, I wanted this so much, Nathan." It felt good to finally admit just how much she wanted to be pregnant once she thought she might be.

"Me too," he said, kissing her again. "I didn't want to get excited after you told me not to, but I really wanted this, Hales."

"So, you're happy?"

"So happy, Hales. I love you so much."

"I love you too." Haley couldn't stop the tears of joy from coming and she noticed that Nathan had some in his eyes as well.

The joy Nathan was experiencing from knowing that he and Haley had created life together was indescribable. This baby may not have been planned, but he or she was loved. He or she was coming into a family that was filled with love. Having Haley in his life had changed Nathan. He had thought about children when Renee Richardson came into his life, but he also knew he didn't want a child to have to come into the world that way. It wasn't ideal. If that child had been his, he would have loved him or her and doted on them and tried to be the best father he could.

He had meant what he said to Haley over a year earlier when they'd been locked in her recording studio. He wanted to be in a committed relationship with the mother of his child. With Haley it was more than a commitment. She had already given him one child when she allowed him to be Sam's father. Now they'd created new life together. His hand slowly went to her abdomen and his splayed fingers covered her tiny stomach.

"Look what we did, Hales."

She put her hand on his and couldn't help giggling. She was so, so happy. After having Sam, she thought she was done. She thought he would be her only child, because she didn't think another man would want her. This man standing in front of her with his hand protectively over their child that she was carrying wanted her. The life growing in her was proof of how much he wanted her and loved her.

She stood on her tip toes and kissed him. She pulled him with her over to their bed. The cupboards they had been cleaning out, organizing, and lining were forgotten. They were forgotten as soon as Haley answered her phone. Now it would be a while before they were remembered.

Nathan was careful when Haley pulled him on top of her. He couldn't stop bringing his hand to her stomach. He was always mindful, not wanting to crush her. Now he didn't want to crush their child.

"Are you sure, Hales? This is what got us into this," he winked at her.

"Oh yeah. You don't hear me complaining, do you?"

"No, not at all," he said as he lowered his head and kissed her.

* * *

Their sheets and comforter were mostly on the floor. One thin sheet remained around the couple, barely covering their mid-sections. Their legs were tangled together and Haley was laying almost on top of Nathan's chest. Her hair was a mess from his hands running through it as they'd made love. Neither could get rid of their smiles even if they'd wanted to.

"Dr. Russell gave me the number to an OB," she told him, leaving a soft kiss on his chest.

"So, that's the baby doctor?"

"That's the baby doctor. I guess we should call and make an appointment."

She leaned over him and grabbed the phone she had set down when they were in the middle of undressing each other. The doctor had sent the number to her phone and Haley hit call and waited while it rang.

For the first time in days, the couple felt like they had nothing to worry about. Both had been scared. While they didn't want to hope in case they ended up disappointed, if they weren't pregnant then that might mean that Haley was sick. That thought worried both of them. Now they could have hope, they could be happy, and they could stop worrying. They were fine. They were better than fine.

Nathan's fingers traced patterns on Haley's skin while she was on the phone. She sat up a little when someone answered.

"Hi. My name is Haley James. My doctor, Dr. Russell, referred me to you. I need an appointment, because I'm pregnant." Saying the word 'pregnant,' Haley's smile stretched from ear to ear. So did Nathan's and they kept looking at each other while she spoke.

"Mm hmm," she answered. "Thursday at eleven. Okay, thank you." She hung up the phone and set it aside.

"Thursday at eleven," Nathan repeated.

Haley nodded her head and rested her chin on his chest. "This is just the beginning, isn't it? You're just going to keep giving me great, beautiful things in life."

"That's the plan. You do the same thing for me. Thank you for this," he said, his voice filled with sincerity. "I can't believe sperm stays in there for four days." He had thought about it ever since Dr. Russell had told them that.

"You do realize that I should probably just give up on all forms of birth control, right? It's never worked for me. The first time, which I know was completely different. I know that. The first time, it was that tiny, miniscule percentile that happened. The morning after pill is supposed to work unless the sperm has already hit the egg. I guess it happened quickly.

"Now, with the two of us. I don't know. We knew it was a risk. Not a risk. That makes it seem dangerous and it's not. We knew there was a chance, but we ignored it. It should have worked, but it didn't. It's like it was just waiting in me to take and to make a baby."

"I'd be okay if you gave up on birth control. I know this is sooner than we planned. We never actually said when we'd be ready for this. But I've wanted this, Hales. I want a dozen kids with you. And the birth control not really working for us, that's fine. It just means we love each other so much that this baby was just meant to be."

She kissed him and ran her tongue along his lips. He granted her entrance and he knew what she was saying in that kiss. She was saying that he was saying everything right. He felt like he didn't. He knew he wasn't as good with words as she was, or as Lucas was. He just knew that there were things he wanted to say to her, so he just talked. He talked and hoped that he would be able to get out what he wanted to say and that she'd be able to make sense of what he was saying. She usually did. His girl was a genius. He knew their baby would be too.

"So, are we gonna tell people? How do you think we should do this?"

Haley bit her lip and thought. "I think we should wait. For one thing, with the wedding coming up, let's focus on that. It's less than two weeks away, so… Also, if anything happens, it's usually in the first trimester. So, I think we should wait until after my third month. So, that'll be early July."

"What do you mean if anything happens?"

She looked at him with sympathy. "If anything goes wrong, Nathan."

"Is something… do you think… is there a reason?"

She placed her hand to his lips and shook her head. "We see the doctor on Thursday, but there's no reason for that. When I had Sam, the doctor told me that everything went perfectly. The doctor said there was no reason why any future pregnancies wouldn't go normally either. It's just a precaution."

"Oh. Okay. That makes sense. So, we wait until the first week of July. Then we tell Sam first, right?"

"Definitely. We'll have to tell everyone else soon after that. We can't expect a five year-old to keep a big secret like that."

Nathan nodded. "I don't really like not telling him now, but I know what you mean. He's a little boy and if he's excited…"

"Exactly. I kind of hate not telling Brooke and Peyton. They were there last time and I know it's completely different, but still."

"You could tell them if you wanted. I wouldn't mind."

Haley shook her head. "No. Sam should know first. So, we'll wait." She stared into his eyes and again, smiled from ear to ear. The happiness she felt wouldn't let her stop smiling. She ran her toes up and down his leg.

"If you keep that up, we'll be late picking up Sam."

She laughed, but kissed him. "We'll be in Charlotte for the Fourth of July."

"Yeah," he said. They would be on tour. He had their schedule in his phone.

"Your family is coming to Charlotte for the show. Vivian, Ned, and Taylor will be there staying with my mom and dad."

"That would be a good time to tell everyone."

"It would be," Haley agreed. "I can suggest to Brooke and Peyton that they fly out for the show and for the holiday. I can just suggest that it would be nice of the family was together for the holiday. They'd agree to it."

"You think of everything," he marveled.

"Well, I am Tutor Girl."

"Tutor Mom," he corrected her. "I knew you'd be the mother of my children after our first date."

"You knew even then?"

He nodded. "I knew it. I knew how you were with Sam and meeting you and getting to know you, I knew that I didn't just want someone like you when I eventually had children. I wanted you for that."

"Damn. You're charming. You keep talking like that and we really will be late to pick up Sam." She looked at the table on the clock, then at the mess they'd made with their bedding. She laughed at the sight. She sat up, not bothering to cover herself. She felt beautiful with Nathan. She felt beautiful with his eyes traveling over his figure. She didn't feel modest around him. She didn't need to, not with the way he looked at her.

"Guess we'd better fix this and get dressed. But I think we should continue celebrating later tonight."

"I definitely think we should celebrate more. I love you, Nathan Scott."

* * *

**Note:** Okay, the next couple of chapters may take me some time. I want to get them just right. I know the updates have been coming quickly, but I want to get these just right. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

I also noticed that it's been almost a year since I began writing this. So, I'm going to try and have it done by May 4th.


	57. Chapter FiftySix

**Diclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** I like how this chapter turned out. It's nice and quiet, but it does its job. So, I hope you enjoy it

* * *

They had arrived in Tree Hill four days before the wedding. Within the next couple of days, all of their guests began arriving. Now, the day before, everyone was there. Both Haley and Nathan felt like they were being pulled in every direction and that they had no time to themselves as their wedding neared. Neither could wait for the day to actually arrive. Both were so excited for it. They would miss Sam, but they were also looking forward to their honeymoon together. They had never been to London, so they were pleased to be able to do it together.

Tree Hill was becoming more and more natural to Haley. There wasn't much to the town, but Haley knew where everything was. Everyone was so kind and welcoming. It was a few hours before the rehearsal dinner and her bachelorette party and she found herself walking through town. She had just gone to the jewelers to pick up the gifts for the small wedding party.

She hadn't wanted a bachelorette party, but Brooke and Peyton had insisted. When her sisters found out about her protests, they had insisted. Haley had no idea what they had planned for her, but she was a little nervous. She honestly just wanted some time alone with Nathan since she wouldn't get to sleep next to him that night. That wasn't in the cards.

Nathan had been more successful in talking his brother out of a bachelor party. The guys would still be hanging out, but it would be a low key evening. Nathan had told Sam that he could join them. He knew the boy would be going to bed before everyone else was ready to. But he also knew that having his son there would keep things from getting out of hand. All they were planning to do was to go to an sports bar and play some games and then get back for a good night of sleep. Well, as good a night as Nathan could have without Haley by his side. He was comforted knowing that after tonight, they would get to spend every night together for the rest of their lives.

Now that they were constantly around people, both Nathan and Haley had to resist the urge to bring their hands to her stomach. She was still feeling nauseated and constantly hungry. Nathan hadn't told her, but he could tell that she was getting more round. He loved it. He smiled when he first noticed it. She looked beautiful and she looked sexy. It was evidence that she was carrying their child. That thought always made him smile. He just couldn't help it.

Haley brushed the hair back from her face as she walked back to the Café. She would be meeting everyone there before the rehearsal dinner. The light breeze caused her skirt to billow. She was looking out at the water just past the docks, not paying attention to where she was going. She stopped when she bumped into something. Or, rather, she bumped into someone. A tall, solid figure blocked her path. She backed away from whoever it was and offered a quick apology before even looking up at the person.

When she saw who stood in front of her she went speechless. His arms were out to steady her, in case she lost her balance. She took a few steps backward. He, too, took a few steps back away from her. She recognized him immediately. They hadn't officially been introduced and the only time she had seen him she had been in a blind panic to get to her son. Still, she knew who he was. She could recognize him. His son looked like him. Tall, blue eyes, dark hair. She felt her body tense, but she stood with her shoulders back and her head held high.

"Haley," he spoke. His voice was hesitant. It was almost as if he wasn't sure he should be speaking to her. When she didn't respond, he spoke again. "We weren't introduced the last time we saw each other. I'm Dan Scott." He went to offer his hand, but thought better of it.

"I know," she said. Her voice was quiet, but strong. She began to walk away and walked right past him when he stopped her.

"Haley, I'm sorry."

She turned and looked at him. She didn't understand what was going on.

Dan took a chance and took a few steps closer to her. "I'm sorry for what happened with your son last summer. I just, well, it was never my intention for him to get hurt. I was just focused on Nathan. I suppose I always have been. It still doesn't excuse what happened. I am sorry."

Haley studied his expression. She didn't know him, so she couldn't read him. She didn't know if he was sincere. "Our son," she finally said.

"Excuse me?"

"Our son. Nathan has adopted him. Nathan is his father."

Dan nodded his head. "I heard about that. Congratulations. And congratulations on the wedding. Although, according to proper etiquette, I'm supposed to wish you luck and congratulate Nathan. I know I won't get that chance."

"Mr. Scott…"

"Dan. Please. Don't worry. I'll be staying away tomorrow. I know that's why you're in town. The whole town knows. I just wanted to apologize. And I want to say I know you'll both be very happy together. My son is… he's able to do what I never could."

Without waiting for her to reply Dan Scott walked away. Haley watched his retreating form. She hadn't expected to see him. She hadn't even thought of him. No one had mentioned him. The subject of Dan Scott was taboo among the family. Their memories of him weren't necessarily happy ones. He just didn't have contact with his family. As far as she knew, he didn't even have contact anymore with Royal and Mae.

Nathan had once told her that that had been Dan's idea. He told them not to visit him in prison or if he was ever released. He said that he'd caused enough pain and didn't want them to have to choose between their sons. Haley found it difficult to wrap her head around not seeing your child. But, she also found it difficult to wrap her head around someone trying to kill their own brother.

The encounter she had just had stayed in her mind as she continued her journey to the Café. She managed to hide it when she walked in. Actually, when she walked in, though she was still thinking about it, the presence of all her family together with Nathan's overtook it. It was like a fairy tale. She had her charming prince and their families loved each other.

Over in the corner of the Café, Jimmy, Royal, and Eli were talking animatedly about something. Haley guessed it had to do with sports. It usually did. The Café was closed, so it was just family in there. Everyone was spread out the small establishment having a good time. Haley immediately found Nathan and their arms immediately wrapped around each other. He had been talking to his brother.

That night, while the adults were at their respective parties, the kids, with the exception of Sam, would be under the supervision of Mae and Haley's grandma. The women had assured everyone that the kids would be no trouble whatsoever. They would all have a wonderful time and their parents could come get them once the parties were over.

That was one thing that Nathan and Haley had insisted on. They didn't want to be out late. Haley had never been one for late nights and still wasn't. Nathan used to love them, but now he knew that there was an alternative that was far better. Why stay out drinking and partying when a beautiful woman and a great son were at home wanting you to be with them? That was where Nathan preferred to be.

* * *

Nathan and Sam walked into the sports bar that night. Lucas and Julian had rented it out for the night for the party. All the guys were there. All of Haley's brothers, Keith, Royal, Jimmy, Skills, Lucas, and Julian. They had a buffet with food that would clog anyone's arteries and the waitresses were serving drinks to some of the guys. Nathan declined and both he and Sam enjoyed a glass of root beer.

Nathan laughed when he could hear Skills muttering to Keith about the lack of strippers at the party. He was teaching Sam how to play air hockey. Sam had to stand on a chair to reach, but he was having fun and seemed to be getting the hang of it. Seth and Hugh were taking bets on which one would win. Currently, Sam was beating Nathan by two points, but the adults knew that Nathan was letting his son win. As the small disc came back over to Nathan, he glanced at his left hand before shooting the disc toward Sam. In just twenty-four hours, there would be a band of white gold on his finger. It would tell the world what he already knew. He was hers.

* * *

Across town, Brooke had rented two limousines to take Haley and the other women around town. They were pouring champagne, which Haley declined, but she was sure that no one had noticed. She looked out the window when the cars stopped. She could see a small shop with its windows lit up. It seemed to be the only open shop on the block.

"First stop," Brooke announced! Everyone got out and followed Brooke as she unlocked the door.

Haley adjusted the plastic tiara on her head. Brooke and Peyton had forced her to wear it. She drew the line at the feather boa. Brooke took one of Haley's hands and Peyton the other and the two lead Haley to a large, plush chair. Surrounding Haley's chair were other chairs and the women all took their seats. Brooke walked in front of them, standing on a makeshift stage.

"Now, Tutor Mom, we all know you and Nathan don't need any help in this department, but we thought this would be fun anyway. You don't have to try anything on. It's all going to be modeled for you. Whichever one you like the best is yours. So, without further ado…" Brooke hit a button on an iPod next to the stage and took her seat.

As soon as the music began playing, a parade of models came out wearing various styles of lingerie. Haley recognized them as Clothes Over Bro's models. She turned beet red at the sight in front of her. The woman with her were laughing and making their opinions known about each piece. Some of them were pretty trashy, but Haley had to admit that a few pieces she actually liked. She didn't wear lingerie often. She didn't feel like she needed to because Nathan always made her feel so sexy and desirable without it. Still, she had enjoyed wearing it the times that she did. She loved his reaction to it. It wasn't comfortable, but his reaction was worth it. Besides, it didn't stay on her for very long.

Picking out lingerie in front of her mother, sisters, future mother-in-law, and sisters-in-law was a little embarrassing. Haley was having trouble choosing between three pieces and Peyton insisted that she get each of them. Brooke wouldn't take no for an answer and promised to pack them for the honeymoon. More than once Haley had to stop herself from putting her hand to her stomach and more than once she had to turn down offers of champagne.

Just when Haley thought they were done and leaving for their next stop, Brooke announced they were staying. Before Haley even knew what was happening, two muscular, barely clothed men were dancing around the store. Haley shrank back toward a wall. Brooke and Peyton knew she wouldn't want it, but couldn't resist. Everyone else seemed to be having a good time. Even Lydia could be seen stuffing a few bills into the waistband of one of the men. Taylor, unsurprisingly, was dancing with one of them.

As much fun as Haley was having, she was relieved when it was time to head back to Deb's for the night. The party was beginning to disband. Karen had gone to pick up Lily and Kate and Ellen had left to get their kids in bed for the night. That left Deb, Lydia, Peyton, Brooke, Vivian, Quinn, and Taylor with Haley back at the house.

Again, Haley was amazed at how easily everyone got along together. She watched them and smiled before walking out onto the deck and listening to the waves splashing as they reached the shore. It wasn't long before Peyton, Brooke, and Vivian joined her. They all leaned against the railing except for Vivian, who sat in the deck chair looking at her baby sister.

"Nervous?" Vivian already knew the answer.

"Nope."

Just as Vivian expected. "Excited?"

"Yeah. Very."

"How's that no sex thing going for you two?" Peyton laughed. Haley and Nathan had decided about ten days earlier to wait to have sex until after the wedding. Ever since, she had been feeling frustrated. It didn't help that he was purposely walking around without a shirt on.

Haley pouted in response. "We're fine."

"Uh huh," Brooke began teasing. "You've been taking cold showers, haven't you?"

Haley didn't answer that question. She wasn't going to.

"Speaking of no sex," Vivian said, "how far along are you?"

Haley was speechless again. That had happened a lot that day. First with Dan Scott and then several times throughout her bachelorette party. Her hand instinctively went to her stomach, but she dropped it, flexing her fingers at her side.

"You can't hide anything from us," Peyton reminded her. "But, luckily, I don't think anyone else has noticed."

"What tipped you off?" Haley finally let her hand cover her stomach where the child she had made with Nathan was growing.

"Your boobs are getting bigger," Brooke blurted out.

"You've been reaching for your stomach since we got here. Probably before that. Nathan does, too. Then, you both stop and look around to see if anyone noticed," Vivian added.

"And you haven't had a drop of champagne all night," Peyton finished. "Your 'flu' hasn't gone away either. I know what's going on when you sneak off to the bathroom at work. Morning sickness."

"We were just going to tell people that Nathan wasn't drinking because of how much he did after the accident and that I was supporting him. He really hasn't had a drink since then, actually," Haley told them.

"So, baby sis. How far?"

"About ten weeks. We're due in January." Haley couldn't help her smile. She still felt it was right to keep it to themselves until after her first trimester. She still wanted Sam to be the first to know. But it was great being able to speak about it openly with others. "We weren't going to tell anyone until after twelve weeks and we wanted to tell Sam first. We were going to have you all come to the Charlotte show and tell you on Fourth of July. In person."

"You've seen a doctor?" Vivian was a doctor, so the medical questions came naturally to her.

Haley nodded. "I wouldn't believe I really was until I heard it from a doctor. Even after four pregnancy tests," she laughed.

Brooke laughed too. "You took four?"

Haley shrugged. "Nathan was anxious. We both just wanted it so much, but we didn't want to get our hopes up and be disappointed."

"You weren't planning this," Peyton stated.

Haley nodded her head. "Insurance issue, pills, biology. It just happened. But I'm happy it did. We both are." What usually happened is that Haley would find herself able to talk about something and then she couldn't stop. This was one of those times. "Nathan figured it out because I'd been getting sick. He could tell. I was trying not to worry him, but he knew.

"Ever since we saw the sonogram, he's been calling the baby Bean. He said it looks like a bean right now. So, since we don't know if it's a girl or a boy, Bean. He's woken up every morning and asked me how Bean and I are doing. He asks me if Bean is making me throw up. He asks me if Bean wants a Snickers."

"You never could resist a Snickers," Peyton observed. "Wow. You're pregnant, Hales."

"We're having another baby!" Brooke was tempted to squeal, but understood that Haley wanted to keep things quiet. She did go to hug her best friend.

"And don't worry, Haley Bob. We'll help you out tomorrow to keep this under wraps," Vivian assured her.

"Thanks"

"Congratulations," Peyton told her. Peyton and Vivian took turns hugging her.

"We should head back in," Brooke said. "Before they start wondering where we are."

"I'm going to stay here for a few more minutes. I like the fresh air," Haley told them. They nodded and left her there. She stared out at the ocean again. She was broken from her reverie when she felt two arms wrap around her waist. She closed her eyes and breathed in Nathan's cologne. She felt him rest his head on hers and she knew his eyes were closed to.

"What do you say we sneak out of here together."

"Aren't you supposed to be at a sports bar or arcade or whatever it is?"

"Party ended. I think some of them were disappointed by there being no strippers. What about you? How'd your party go?"

"Oh, no one was disappointed by the strippers," she joked. "Except me."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Neither of them were you." She let herself settle more into his embrace. "Where's the boy?" She knew Sam would be safe, but she still needed to know where her son was.

"He's with Jimmy in the RV. He had a great time. He beat me at air hockey." He kissed her cheek, still holding onto her. "Let's go for a walk."

Nathan grabbed a blanket from the storage box on the deck and took Haley's hand. The two descended the stairs and their feet hit the sand. Both removed their shoes, leaving them at the foot of the stairs, before walking a few feet down the beach. They stopped when they were a bit away from the house, but they could still see the lights from where they were. Nathan laid out the blanket on the sand and sat. Haley followed him. He laid on his back and she joined him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"I missed you today," she admitted.

"After tonight, you never have to miss me again. You may get sick of me after a few decades."

"Oh, that'll never happen. A few decades wouldn't be enough."

He laughed and ran his hand down the exposed skin of her arm, sending chills throughout her body. He remembered what she had said when they were still on the deck. "Were there really strippers at your party?"

Haley laughed and looked into his eyes. "Yes. But neither of them were you. I had a problem with that. Not that I want you stripping in front of our family."

Nathan smirked. "Are you sure about that no sex thing? We could take care of that right now."

"Ha ha. Down boy. One more night. Besides, let's just say Brooke provided me with a few things you're going to love on me. And off of me."

"Oh, that's not fair, Hales." Nathan felt his blood heading southward. "You can't tell a man that. Especially when the most beautiful woman in the world is laying in his arms on a beautiful beach and he hasn't been able to make love to her in over a week."

"Sorry!" They were quiet for several minutes. They were happy not to say anything and to just lay together and watch the stars. Haley began chewing on her lip, knowing that she had to talk to Nathan. She was glad she had the chance to do it now.

"I saw Dan today."

Nathan jerked his head and looked at her. He saw the nervousness in her eyes.

"I bumped into him," she continued. "Literally. I walked right into him. He, um, he apologized for what happened with Sam. He congratulated us and then said he would stay away. It just sort of felt like he was saying to me what he wished he could say to you. He told me you were able to do what he never could. He seemed proud of you."

Nathan was silent. He was processing the information. "It's too late, Hales."

She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "There's more."

"What did he do?"

"Not Dan. Peyton, Brooke, and Vivian figured out that we're pregnant. They don't think anyone else can tell. They're going to help us out with keeping it quiet until we're ready."

"Well, it's great news, so it's nice they know. They could figure it out?"

"Brooke said my boobs are getting bigger."

Nathan smirked and kissed her, letting his tongue trace her lips.

"I guess you agree."

He shrugged. "I like that I can see signs of you being pregnant with our baby. I love that."

"I don't want to sleep without you next to me," she confessed. "I know I don't sleep as well when you're not next to me."

He kissed her forehead. "I know what you mean."

Haley yawned and closed her eyes. She felt like she could fall asleep right there.

"How about I take you back to the house and stay with you until you fall asleep. I'll hold you until you're sound asleep. You know it won't be long. You and Bean need your rest."

"Okay. I guess it's the best we can do, isn't it?"

"I'll miss you tonight too. But like I said, Hales. After tonight, we don't have to be apart ever again."

* * *

True to his word, Nathan stayed with Haley until she was fast asleep. When they got back to the house, everyone had left. Brooke and Peyton were left there sitting with Sam, who had been dropped off by Jimmy. Nathan and Haley had gotten him ready for bed and he crawled in next to his mother. Nathan sat on one side while Haley and Sam were next to him, Sam in the middle. They both cuddled next to him and Nathan hated that he was going to have to tear himself away from them.

Sam fell asleep first and Haley watched Nathan. He watched her. "Try to sleep," he whispered to her. He began running his fingers up and down her arm. She found the sensation comforting and relaxing. She was tired. She soon drifted off to sleep, but Nathan stayed next to his family. All three of them. He looked at the clock and noticed that it was getting late and he wanted to try to sleep. Tomorrow would be a big day.

As he quietly shut the door behind him, he saw his mother going into her own bedroom. They nodded and smiled at each other before Nathan went downstairs. Peyton and Brooke were still down there. They each had a glass of wine in hand and were smiling like they were waiting for him. He took a seat in the chair adjacent to the sofa they were sitting on.

"So, you guys got her strippers." Nathan wanted to tease them. He wasn't jealous. He knew that Haley only wanted him.

"So, you knocked her up," Peyton countered.

"Just couldn't keep your hands off of her, could you?" Brooke was grinning. "Congratulations, Boy Toy."

The same smile that Nathan had whenever he thought about his child appeared on his face. He got a far away look in his eyes that did not go unnoticed by the two women in the room. "She's pregnant," he whispered, almost with reverence.

"That she is," Peyton said.

"How're you feeling about the dancing?" Brooke and Peyton had been helping Nathan with his dancing and he was definitely getting better. He hadn't stepped on Brooke's toes in over two weeks and last week he had finally stopped counting as he did the steps.

"I think I'll be okay," he said. "When I'm with Haley, I'll be okay. It's all for her."

"Yeah, you'll be fine," Brooke reassured him.

"Shouldn't you be getting some rest?" Peyton looked at the clock. "Papa James said you guys had a busy night playing arcade games and eating buffalo wings. Sounds like quite a party."

"I didn't want anything big," Nathan explained. "Not like the party you guys threw her."

"I think we all enjoyed the strippers more than she did," Brooke said. "Especially Mama James."

"Tomorrow's the big day," Peyton stated. "You've been waiting for this for months, haven't you? Even before you proposed."

Nathan nodded his head. He felt comfortable talking to Brooke and Peyton. Three of them had something very important in common. Haley. All three of them loved her and all three of them didn't know what they'd do without her in their lives.

"Hey, Nate. Thanks," Peyton said, her voice completely sincere. Her green eyes were looking right at him.

"For what?" He couldn't imagine what she would be thanking him for. He knew that they were all right now, but this was still the woman who had threatened him months earlier.

"Well, we can't thank you for loving her," Brooke explained. "That's the easy part. You know how easy she is to love. You know her and you love her. It's that simple."

"You know her and you love her," Nathan repeated.

"So, thank you for being you, I guess," Peyton continued. "It's been nearly two years since you walked back into her life, Nathan. Because of you, she got to finish healing."

"She wasn't letting herself do it completely," Brooke added. "I don't think she even knew she was doing that. You did something we couldn't do."

"You made her feel whole again. We're not saying that it isn't something Sam wasn't doing. She's strong. I think she's stronger than she realizes and if she hadn't had him, she'd still be okay. But that… pureness of him helped a lot."

"It just wasn't complete. You did that. Something about you did that. So, thanks for coming into her life and being the man she could fall in love with."

Nathan didn't know how to respond to that. Haley had always told him that she fell in love with him because of who he was. He was enough for her and she loved who he was. It had taken him a while to be able to accept that. He had been so insecure and so worried that he wasn't good enough for her. He now knew that he was. He no longer needed reassurance. Everything Haley did showed him that.

Now, her two best friends in the world were sitting there and telling him that they recognized it. They were right; loving Haley was easy. Loving Haley was as easy as breathing. As much as Haley made him believe that he was more than enough for her and worthy of her just by being him, it was gratifying to know that the people who knew her best and who had been with her through everything saw it as well. He didn't want to break Haley's trust or theirs.

"Haley, Sam, and the baby, they're my life. They're everything." That was the only thing that Nathan could think of to say. Everything was in that. They were everything and he was going to spend his life living according to that.

"We know, Nate. Anyway, we have to kick you out," Peyton announced.

"Yeah, we all have a big day tomorrow. We have to get up in the morning and get your bride ready for the big day."

"You don't have to do anything. Haley looks beautiful no matter what. No makeup, none of it. She looks beautiful up there asleep in her pajamas next to Sam."

"That's romantic that you think so, but scoot. She's going to look stunning tomorrow. And I know, I know. You always think she looks stunning. We all know Tutor Girl is a natural beauty. The gown I made is gonna knock your socks off. I'll bet you won't be able to wait to get it off of her," Brooke teased.

"Especially considering how long it's been," Peyton joked.

Nathan grimaced. He loved the two of them and their friendship with Haley, but sometimes it was uncomfortable with how much about their lives they knew. Still, he wouldn't have it any other way. These were the two women who had looked after Haley and he was grateful for that. Now that was his job. Even if she didn't need looking after, it's what he had been doing. Tomorrow they would just be making it official.

* * *

**Note:** So, you know what's coming next. Thank you for reading and reviewing!


	58. Chapter FiftySeven

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Notes:** Well, I actually had this ready last night, but I couldn't post it. I hope it lives up to your expectations!

* * *

Haley's eyes were closed as Brooke applied her makeup. Brooke had done her own already. She now had Haley in Nathan's room at Deb's house. The journey from Deb's house to the spot on the beach where they would be getting married would be short. The wedding would be beginning in an hour. One short hour and it would be time.

The morning had gone by so quickly. Haley had awoken early, just as she usually did. She had breakfast with Sam, Deb, Brooke, and Peyton. She spent as much time with Sam as she could before Lucas came to get him. Sam would be getting ready with his father and his uncle. He had the very important job of being ring bearer and Haley couldn't wait to see her son in his tux. Brooke had designed it especially for him.

Brooke had kept Haley's gown a secret until the last possible moment. Peyton had teased her that she didn't know what she was getting herself into. They both knew that Brooke wouldn't let her down. Sure enough, she had been blown away when she saw the wedding gown Brooke had designed for her. It was a good thing they hadn't done her makeup yet.

The gown was white and strapless. It had a bit of a train. The satin was wrapped around the bodice, creating a sort of sheen. The skirt had a similar effect.

Brooke had curled her hair. Her long, rich brown locks would be flowing down her back. Brooke had designed a hair piece to go with the gown. It had little flower buds in it, so it looked like little flowers within Haley's hair. Now, all that was left was her makeup. She brought her hand to her stomach when Brooke left the room momentarily to find a q-tip.

"So far so good, Bean. We haven't been sick once today. Try and keep it up for mommy, please. Or keep it down, actually. Let's try to not be sick." Today was the first day in weeks that Haley hadn't felt nauseated. She was so grateful. It was like the baby knew how important it was for her to not get sick that day. She had eaten a healthy breakfast. She had eaten a small snack around lunch. All the food stayed where it was supposed to.

Brooke returned and Haley closed her eyes again as Brooke brushed the q-tip over her eyelids, making sure the eye shadow was distributed evenly. She opened her eyes when she heard the door open. She looked and saw Peyton in her light purple bridesmaids dress. Brooke had done an outstanding job. Peyton's blonde hair was piled on her head. Her makeup was simple and she wore simple jewelry.

"You look beautiful, Peyt," Haley said.

"Damn. I was going for homely. I don't want to upstage the bride."

"Not possible," Brooke protested. "Look how gorgeous Tutor Wife looks! She's been glowing all day."

Haley smiled, big and large. Brooke hadn't called her 'Tutor Wife' yet, but Haley wasn't surprised to hear it. She had been expecting it, actually.

"Aww, you're gonna have to stop blushing," Brooke ordered. "I've got to finish this and we don't have that much time left."

Haley knew Brooke was right. She couldn't wait to get there and stand at the altar with Nathan. All of their family and friends were ready and would be watching them. Their son would be there. Their unborn child would of course be there. She wished time would speed up so she could get there and finally marry him.

When her makeup was done, Haley stood up. She smoothed out the satin robe that Brooke had put her in. Brooke and Peyton had bought it for her as a little gift. She could feel butterflies in her stomach, but it wasn't from nerves. It was from excitement.

A knock at the door got her attention. Peyton opened the door as Brooke was getting into her dress. Standing on the other side of the door were Lydia and Deb. They were both completely ready. Both looked beautiful. They walked in and smiled at Haley.

"Haley Bob, you look absolutely stunning. You look happy," Lydia marveled. "And I know you're excited to get this show on the road."

"I spoke with Nathan," Deb informed her. "He sounds just as excited. I think if it were up to the two of you, you'd have gotten married this morning."

Haley just nodded.

"Now, before you finish getting ready, we have a tradition to take care of," Lydia announced. "Ready, ladies?"

They all gathered around Haley. Each had something in her hand.

"Something blue," Brooke said, holding out a blue garter. Of course Brooke would provide the garter.

"Something borrowed," Peyton held up a small silver bracelet. Haley recognized it immediately.

"Peyton, I couldn't. No."

"Hales, she loved you. She would want you to wear it today. You always said how beautiful it was. So, you get to wear it on your wedding day." Peyton fastened her mother's silver bracelet to Haley's wrist.

"Even if it is paired with that plastic thing on your wrist," Brooke said, noticing the toy bracelet that Haley was wearing.

"Brooke, he gave this to me on our first date."

"I know, I know. Anyway, who's next?"

"That would be something new," Deb said. She presented Haley with a beautiful pair of teardrop diamond earrings.

"Deb, no. This is too much." Haley gasped. The earrings were beautiful.

"It's not. And actually, it's a gift from me, Karen, and Mae. The three of us are very happy to have you in our family. Take the earrings. You wouldn't want to hurt our feelings." Deb knew that would do the trick. Haley wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

"Something old," Lydia said. She walked so that she was directly in front of her youngest child. She reached around Haley's neck and clasped a string of pearls to her. "These were your great grandmother's pearls. She gave them to me. I'm giving them to you. Someday, when you and Nathan have your own daughter, I hope you'll give them to her."

"Mom…" Haley could feel the tears coming to her eyes. She gently covered her mouth with her hand, careful not to smudge her lipstick.

"No, no, no, no, no. No crying. We do not have time to reapply her makeup. No crying," Brooke ordered. "Stop it right now! If you cry, Haley Bob James-almost-Scott, it will delay getting you to marry your Boy Toy."

Haley nodded and tried to control her emotions. It was hard. Being pregnant was wreaking havoc on her emotions. She was constantly on the verge of tears. She was so close to blurting out to her mother that she was actually pregnant, but luckily Peyton stepped in.

"Okay, let's get this robe off of you and get you into this gown." Peyton moved to help Haley with the robe. Deb and Lydia said goodbye and told Haley they'd see her at the ceremony. Both knew that Haley probably wouldn't notice them. She'd be too busy marrying the man of her dreams.

* * *

Nathan paced back and forth at the beach. The guests were starting to arrive and were taking their seats. Each of Haley's siblings had greeted him fondly. He adjusted his tie, making sure it was straight but not having a mirror to check. He was going over his vows in his head. He wanted them to be just right. They had to say everything that he felt about Haley. He'd been going over them all morning as he got ready.

"Daddy!" Sam ran up to him excitedly. He had been getting a snack with his grandfather before the ceremony. Nathan couldn't eat a thing. Not until after he married Haley.

Nathan scooped his son up into his arms and smiled. "Well, you're definitely the best looking guy at this wedding, Sam Scott. Lookin' sharp." Sam's tux matched Nathan's. Both wore bow ties, white shirts, black vests, and black pants and jackets. Brooke had put them in classic tuxedos. Lucas's tux was a little different. Brooke did not include a vest for him and gave him a necktie instead of a bow tie.

Nathan had run into some trouble with tying his tie and Sam's. Julian had stepped in and helped. Apparently, Brooke had given him lessons just in case this happened. Brooke had also told Julian that if Nathan showed up to his wedding in a clip on that blood would be shed. So, Nathan awkwardly stood while Julian tied his tie for him. He would do it for Haley. Everything was for Haley.

"Now, you have a really important job, Buddy. You have to hold onto these rings. You have to keep them in your pocket until we ask for them. You got it?" Nathan held out the wedding rings. Entrusting expensive jewelry could be dangerous with a five year-old, but he knew Sam wouldn't be out of his sight except when he was taking his place to walk down the aisle. The rings would be safe.

"I promise, daddy. I won't lose 'em." Sam nodded his head, his expression absolutely serious. It was an important job and he didn't want to let his parents down.

Nathan looked over in the direction of the small tent that had been set up. Haley would be finishing getting ready in there as soon as she got there. That was where she'd be coming from when she began walking down the aisle toward him.

"She isn't here yet, man. She will be. Peyton sent a text message saying that they're on their way. And before you try, I have orders to make sure you don't try to sneak in," Lucas warned him.

"I'm just excited."

"I know."

Nathan set Sam back down on the ground. Sam held onto his pocket, crunching the material in his hand to make sure the rings didn't slip out. They all turned when they heard a car pulling up. Nathan took a few steps toward the tent but was stopped when Lucas put a hand on his chest.

"I know Haley wouldn't mind seeing you, but Brooke will kill you."

"I know, I know."

"Can I go see mommy?" Sam looked up at Nathan pleadingly.

"I can take him if you promise to stay put," Lucas offered. Nathan nodded and Lucas and Sam headed toward the tent. Sam was still holding onto his pocket.

They got to the opening flap of the tent and were about to enter when Deb stopped them.

"What do you think you're doing here?"

"Sam wanted to see his mom."

"I want to see mommy."

"Sure thing, handsome. You go ahead in there." She turned back to Lucas after Sam made it safely in the tent. "Not you."

"Why not? I'm not marrying her."

"You're barred from the tent," Deb explained.

"Can't I see Peyton?"

"Nope. Now, go keep your brother company and keep him from trying to sneak in here." Deb and Lucas both looked back to where Nathan stood. He kept taking a step forward, then a step back, and so on and so forth. Defeated, Lucas went back to where Nathan was.

Sam went to where his mom was sitting in the tent in her gown. Her posture was stiff, an effort not to wrinkle her gown. She was nearly brought to tears when she saw her son smiling at her in his tux. She noticed him clutching his pocket.

"Why are you holding your pocket, sweetie?"

"I have the rings. I promised daddy not to lose them."

A wave of emotion hit Haley. Her wedding band was in her son's pocket. In no time at all Nathan would be slipping that ring onto her finger and she would never be taking it off ever again.

"You look pretty, momma."

"Thanks, baby. You look handsome."

"Daddy said I was the best looking one here," Sam beamed.

"Well, he's right. But I'll bet your daddy is a close second."

"And you'll be seeing him soon. So, calm down, Hales," Brooke instructed. She was just making sure that Haley's makeup was just right before they left the tent.

They could hear the music coming from outside. A violinist and a cellist had been hired to play some soft music before the ceremony and to play the wedding march as Haley made her way up the aisle.

"He's here, right?" Haley knew she didn't have to worry.

"Yep, daddy's here! Is it time?"

"Just about, big guy," Peyton told him, kneeling so she was eye level with him. "You ready to walk me and Brooke down the aisle?"

Sam eagerly nodded his head. Instead of the bridesmaids, in this case maids of honor, walking down the aisle separately, Sam would be walking with them. They had decided on that early on. Sam, Brooke, and Peyton were close. Following them would be Haley and Jimmy.

"I hope you haven't gotten cold feet and runaway, Haley Bob! Your entire family is here and your groom looks like he's about to burst if he has to wait for you another minute," Jimmy announced from outside the tent.

"Come on in, Papa James," Peyton beckoned.

Haley was now standing and Brooke was helping her smooth out her dress and making sure the finishing touches were all done.

"Wow. There is nothing funny about how beautiful you look, Haley Bob." Jimmy looked in awe at his youngest child. She was stunning. He grabbed her in a big bear hug that left Brooke cringing, hoping that Haley didn't get wrinkled.

"Time?" Haley was trying to hold in her tears as she prepared to meet Nathan.

"It's time," her father nodded.

After hugging Haley, Brooke, Peyton, and Sam went just outside the tent. They signaled to the musicians to begin the music for them. Brooke and Peyton stood on either side of Sam and took his hands. He looked down at his pocket worriedly.

"Don't worry, buddy. The rings will be safe. We'll help you out," Peyton soothed him. He nodded and the three of them made their way to the altar. Nathan and Lucas were standing beneath an altar adorned with small purple flowers. The sun was shining, the sky was a perfect shade of blue, and the sound of the waves were like music underscoring what they were about to do.

"You made a great choice, Haley Bob," Jimmy whispered. He held his arm out and Haley linked hers with his. "You always were my favorite. Took your mom and me seven tries to get it completely right."

Haley laughed a little. She stopped when the music changed and the wedding march began. She and Jimmy took their steps carefully. Haley immediately spotted Nathan waiting for her. She didn't notice their guests standing and watching her. She saw her devastatingly handsome fiancé waiting for her. She'd never seen him look so happy. She noticed her son and Lucas standing beside Nathan, both smiling on her, but her eyes immediately went back to Nathan.

Her smile spread so wide that she felt her eyes begin to water. Nathan's smile matched hers. Nathan had never seen anyone so beautiful. She took his breath away, just as she did every single day. He noticed the colorful plastic bracelet on her wrist. It warmed his heart to know that she still had it and that she chose to wear it on this special day. As he watched her, he found himself doing something he didn't know was even possible. He was falling even more in love with her. The way she was looking at him, with such love and trust and excitement, he couldn't help himself.

She felt like she was floating and she was glad for her father being there to help her reach Nathan. She felt as she had gone weak in the knees. She clutched her bouquet of small purple flowers. She got more and more excited as she got closer and closer to him.

Finally, she made it to Nathan. He held out his hand for her. Whenever their hands touched there was a spark. There had been a spark since day one. She knew there always would be with them. It hadn't gone out; it hadn't dimmed. He ran his thumb over her hand and chills went through her body.

"You look beautiful," he said quietly, unsure if anyone else could hear him.

Haley blushed and handed her bouquet to Peyton. She let Nathan take her other hand so they were each holding both of the other's hands. The way Nathan was looking at her she felt so at ease. She felt so at peace. She never felt like she belonged anywhere more than she did with Nathan at that altar.

Nathan took two small steps so that he was standing closer to Haley. He couldn't help it. He needed to be closer to her. They barely noticed the minister speak.

"Who gives this woman?"

"Her father and I do," Lydia spoke.

"And it's about time," Jimmy added.

Everyone laughed, even Nathan and Haley. They were used to her parents's humor. They enjoyed it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness Nathan and Haley as they pledge to love one another for all of time. Today, they will be joined in holy matrimony. Marriage is quite a commitment and in the time I've gotten to know this couple, I can't imagine two people better suited for it. Nathan and Haley have prepared their own vows. So, Nathan, if you will?"

Nathan cleared his throat and smiled. He couldn't remember what he was going to say. He had it all planned out and his mind was a blank. He looked at the woman in front of him. The smile hadn't left his face. She gave his hand a squeeze and in that instant, words began pouring out of him. It was as if he knew exactly what to say.

"Over six years ago, I hit on you. I told you I could be your future husband if I believed in that sort of thing."

Haley smiled.

"I do believe in that sort of thing, Haley. Thanks to you. I believe in us. So, I'm marrying you today, in front of our whole world. I look into your eyes and my love for you only grows. It's going to grow everyday; I know it. Someday, this beach might wash away. The oceans may dry. The sun could dim, but on that day I'll still be loving you. Always and forever."

A few tears made their way down Haley's cheeks as she mouthed "forever" at Nathan as he said the word.

"Haley," the minister said, letting her know it was her turn to speak.

"Nathan, it's been said there's one word that will free us from the weight and pain of life, and that word is love. And I believe that. That doesn't mean that it hasn't been hard, or that it won't be. It just means that I found a stillness and a bravery in myself with you. You make me brave. And I will love you until the end of time. Always and forever."

Nathan leaned his head forward and was about to kiss her when the minister spoke.

"Nathan, repeat after me. I, Nathan, promise to love and cherish you."

"I, Nathan, promise to love and cherish you."

"In sickness and in health, in happiness and in sadness. Always and forever."

They had asked the minister to include "always and forever." It was theirs.

"In sickness and in health, in happiness and in sadness. Always and forever," Nathan repeated.

"Haley. Please repeat after me. I, Haley, promise to love and cherish you."

"I, Haley, promise to love and cherish you."

"In sickness and in health, in happiness and in sadness. Always and forever."

"In sickness and in health, in happiness and in sadness. Always and forever."

The minister continued. "Love is the most powerful force in this world. Nathan and Haley have just pledged to love each other forever. Now, if we could have the rings ready."

Sam fumbled with his pocket and held out both rings proudly. Nathan reached and took the one he was to place on Haley's finger.

"Nathan please place the ring on Haley's finger."

Nathan did so and spoke what they had practiced. "Haley, please accept this ring as a sign of my unending love and devotion." He slipped the ring onto her finger. If possible, their smiles grew even wider.

Haley took the ring for Nathan from Sam when he offered it. "Nathan, please accept this ring as a sign of my unending love and devotion." Nathan held onto her hand tighter.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Scott. You may kiss."

Nathan leaned in and cupped Haley's face in both of his hands. Their smiles pressed together as their lips met. Their lips worked together and they were vaguely aware of catcalls and cheering coming from their guests.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, Nathan and Haley Scott," Mia announced. She had performed two songs already while the wedding party were having their pictures taken. Haley and Nathan made their way under the tent. It was lit beautifully with candles at every table. Purple flowers were on every tent post and every centerpiece.

Haley and Nathan made their way to the center of the dance floor. As Gavin DeGraw's "More Than Anyone" began playing, Nathan held out his hand for Haley and held her close to him. Her hand fit in his perfectly and her other hand went to his shoulder.

"Have you been taking lessons?" Haley had noticed that Nathan hadn't even come close to stepping on her toes. He was also actually dancing rather than shuffling his feet with both of his hands on her waist.

"Brooke and Peyton helped me out," he said.

Haley smiled and grabbed the lapels of his jacket, bringing him closer and kissing him. "I didn't even know it was possible for you to get sexier."

"What do you say we get out of here?" He smirked at his wife. Wife. She was now his wife. He was her husband. It was a title he would cherish and work hard not to tarnish.

"All in good time. Don't you worry. When we get to London, I don't plan on us leaving our room for a good long time."

Nathan groaned. "You need to stop mentioning that or I'm going to have to take you in the house and have my way with you right now, wife."

"Wife," she smiled. "By the way, husband, when you go to take off the garter later, don't get carried away," she winked.

"You're wearing a garter?" He raised his eyebrows.

She nodded. "Your vows were beautiful," she told him, wanting to get the conversation away from sex. They both wanted to make love, but it would have to wait a while longer.

Nathan and Haley danced some more. They danced with their family. Nathan had even danced with Peyton and Brooke. His lessons were paying off. They were finally relaxing in their seats when it was time for speeches.

Lucas stood up first. "Congratulations, little brother. And Haley, you were always like a sister to me to begin with, so I'm glad it's official. I remember after Nathan first met Haley all those years ago. She was the first girl who ever rejected him. After a couple of years, I knew it wasn't just his ego that was wounded. There was something about her, in this Stanford James, that he liked. She sparked something in him. It was a surprise and their capacity to love each other has been astounding. It's been a miracle to watch. You see, they do something that's very rare to see in someone our age. Actually, it's very rare to see in anybody. They give their hearts to each other unconditionally. And that's what true love really is. It's not this fairy tale life that never knows pain. But it's two souls facing it together, and diminishing it, with unconditional love. To Nathan and Haley...Scott."

Everyone clapped and Brooke and Peyton stood together. "Well, well," Peyton began. "We've known Haley our entire lives. Just about every memory we have involves Haley."

"We remember when we were eight years old," Brooke began, "and we each made a list of our dream guy. Haley said hers had to be tall, with dark hair and maybe blue eyes."

"He had to be funny and he had to be a gentleman."

"And he couldn't play sports," Brooke finished. The guests all laughed. "Well, Haley still got her dream guy, even if he is a jock."

"Haley's the kind of person you want to see have all of her dreams come true and today we got to see one of hers come true."

"Haley's a special person. She's our best friend and it was going to take a special person coming into her life to change her world as completely as you have, Nathan."

"We don't have to wish you two luck. We know you're going to be fine. So, congratulations."

"Mr. and Mrs. Scott." Brooke and Peyton both lifted their glasses, then took a sip.

Later that night, while the reception was still going, Nathan had his arms around Haley's waist and hers were around his neck. They were pressed up close together and her head was on his chest.

"Good day, Mrs. Scott?"

"Great day, husband. Great day. I'm so happy that I'm your wife."

Nathan brushed his lips against hers, then whispered, "How's Bean?"

"Bean is fine. Nice and calm today."

"Must've known how important it was for you not to barf today," Nathan mused.

Haley laughed. "I'm just glad I got to eat the food Karen made. It was all so delicious."

"She promised to send us home with some cake," Nathan reminded her. "You can eat it on the way to the airport."

"So, ten days in London. Whatever will we do with all that time?"

"I have a few ideas," Nathan winked. "Whatever makes you happy. I love you."

"You do," she said with all sincerity. "You make me happier than I ever thought I could be. I love you. "

* * *

**Note:** Phew. Made it. It felt like that's one of the things the entire story has been leading up to. Only about three more chapters left. Thank you for reading and reviewing!


	59. Chapter FiftyEight

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** I'm glad you all liked their wedding! Enjoy the honeymoon. ;)

* * *

The plane touched down at Heathrow early evening the day after Nathan and Haley's wedding. With the time difference, they lost almost a day, but they didn't mind. There was a light sprinkling of rain hitting the tarmac. The flight had been a long one and they were both glad to be able to get off the plane and stretch their legs. It had been a seven hour flight. They had splurged for first class, but being that cramped still wasn't the best situation. Haley had had to use the bathroom on the plane to get sick. Luckily, Bean had kept calm during the wedding. But the baby wasted no time afterwards.

After making their way through customs and getting their luggage, the newlyweds got into a taxi and made the journey from the airport to their hotel. A bellboy took care of their luggage for them while Nathan paid the cab fare. They walked into the lobby of their hotel. The floor had black and white checkered marble tile. The walls were paneled with wood. They both tried to keep their mouths from dropping open at the sight. It was beautiful.

The check in process went very quickly. While they signed in, their luggage was taken upstairs for them. They made their way up to their room in the elevator. They held onto each other and leaned against each other as they waited to get to their floor. When they did, Nathan held onto the card key as they approached their suite. He got the door open and looked at Haley. She was about to walk in when he stopped her.

"What?"

Swiftly, Nathan picked her up and carried her over the threshold. "We're doin' this right, Mrs. Scott."

"Oh, Mr. Scott, you know how to sweep a woman off of her feet," she told him as they walked into the room, Nathan kicking the door shut behind them.

"Whoa. You really do," Haley said, taking in the room. It was lit with a few candles. Rose pedals were on the floor leading to the bedroom. A bucket with champagne and glasses was sitting in the corner. "Wow." Haley allowed her jaw to drop. Her arms were wrapped around Nathan's neck and she looked back at him. He looked a little nervous.

"You like it?" He still held her close, not even giving any indication that he'd be setting her down.

Haley nodded her head and kissed him. He could feel the white gold band on his face when her hand covered his cheek.

"You want to see the rest?"

Haley nodded and thought he would put her down, but he kept holding her. He walked them into the bedroom. The bed was against a wall and instead of a headboard, there was a design in drapery. The bed had a canopy as well. There were rose petals on the ground in there as well. The curtains were slightly open and the gray sky could be seen. They had a view of the Thames and the London Eye.

"We don't even have to leave this room to see London," Haley marveled.

"I'm okay with that," Nathan joked.

Haley raised an eyebrow, but smiled at him.

"You know, Hales. If you're tired, we don't have to do anything?"

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Haley grabbed the collar of his light blue polo shirt and pulled him closer to her. Her lips crashed to his. She kissed him thoroughly, letting him know exactly what they would be doing now that they were finally married. It had been almost two weeks since she'd made love to him and she was feeling the loss of it. She wanted him badly. "Make love to me, husband."

Not needing to be told twice, Nathan carried her to the bed and set her down on it. The hotel staff had already turned it down for them. Nathan joined her on the bed, hovering over her and smiling at her. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said, bringing her hand to the back of his head, urging his face forward. Getting the hint, he kissed her. He tried keeping his weight off of her and the baby, but she pulled him closer.

"It's okay," she told him. "I'll let you know if I'm uncomfortable."

Nathan took her at her word and laid on top of her more. His tongue sought entrance into her mouth, which she allowed. His hand went to her hip. Her shirt was riding up and he could feel her warm skin underneath his fingertips. His touch sent chills throughout Haley's body and she could feel herself getting warmer and warmer. She began pulling his polo up, trying to get it off of him. He took his lips off of hers so she could get his shirt off.

When the item of clothing was off, Haley ran her hands over his muscular chest. She let her fingers linger over his abs. He wasn't playing basketball anymore, but he was still working out. He was in great shape. She heard him growl when her finger nails scratched down his stomach, stopping at his waistband.

It had been so long since Nathan had been with Haley and it didn't take him long to get hard. It never took him long. He could feel himself straining against his pants and he resisted the urge to rub himself against her. He wanted to take his time. This was their first time together as a married couple. Right now he was enjoying the feel of Haley's hands on him. She had one going up and down his back. It was a light, gentle touch, but there was so much in it. It only increased his want for her.

Haley's breasts were tender. They had been since she'd gotten pregnant. She longed to have Nathan's hands on them and didn't want to wait anymore. She grabbed his hand and placed it at the buttons of her plaid shirt. While he slowly unbuttoned her shirt, she kicked off the ballet flats she had been wearing. Her shirt was open and she could feel her erect nipples rubbing against the lace material of her white bra. It was part of one of the sets of lingerie that she had gotten at her bachelorette party.

Haley wrapped her leg around Nathan's waist, bringing him closer to her and rubbing his erection against her center. She moaned into his mouth at the contact and could feel herself getting wetter. She sat up a little to get her shirt off completely. Though still taking their time, they were soon without any clothes at all. It had been too long since they'd felt each other, skin to skin. They loved the contact. They craved it. They went a year into their relationship without it, but now almost two weeks was just too long.

Nathan crawled down Haley's body. His tongue left a wet trail from her neck, between her breasts, and down her stomach. He looked into her eyes, which were darkened with lust. She spread her legs further, letting him know where she wanted him.

His finger teased her wet folds, causing her to shudder and moan. "Nathan…," she moaned. "Nathan."

"Tell me what you want, Hales."

"Your tongue. In me. I want you so much."

Nathan breathed in her scent and traced the outline of her lips with his finger before diving in and licking her. Again, she moaned loudly. She wrapped both of her legs around his neck. Her eyes closed and she put both of her hands in her own hair, trying to find something to grab on to as he drove her wild with his tongue.

Nathan moved his tongue in and out of her, soaking up her juices. He held onto her hips, stilling her movements as she tried thrusting her hips against his mouth. He used his tongue to place more pressure on her clit. She moaned again, this time louder than she had before. He could feel her getting closer and closer and before she could come, he stopped.

Haley opened her eyes, her lids heavy. She looked at him questioningly. He came back up to her. He held her hand in his and kissed her roughly. She could taste herself on his lips and she had to admit, it was turning her on even more. She bit down on his lip. Not hard, but enough to spur him on.

"I want to take it nice and slow," he said, his voice husky. "I want to take our time. I want to make it last."

She nodded. She just wanted him. She had been so close to release when he was using his tongue. She looked down and saw his erection. She knew it had to be getting painful for him. He'd given her something, it was only fair she did the same. She grabbed hold of him and began stroking his length. She could feel him beginning to leak. She swirled her finger over his tip.

Knowing that if she continued that he would soon come, Nathan stopped her. He kissed her hand before bringing it up to the pillow. He kept holding onto it. His cock was just teasing her entrance and she kissed him, letting him know what she wanted. He moved into her slowly, burying his head in her neck. It would be a challenge for both to keep a slow pace after having not been together for so long. They could easily do this hard and fast, but they wanted more from their first time after being married.

Haley spread her legs further and her knees were bent almost to her shoulders as Nathan slowly moved inside of her. He filled her completely. She raised her hips to meet his when he slowly pulled out. They continued at that slow pace. It had always been good. It had been great, even. But there weren't words to describe what they were feeling as their bodies met.

They kissed. Their tongues were dueling, almost mimicking the movements of their lower halves. They weren't sure how they were able to keep going so slowly, but they both knew they never wanted it to end. They came together. Haley's walls clenching around him and he spilling into her completely.

He pulled out and pulled her closer. He rested on his elbow while she was flat on her back, her hair fanned out against the pillow.

"If I ever suggest that we don't make love ever again remind me that it's a bad idea," Haley told him.

"Yes, ma'am, Mrs. Scott." He kissed her gently, lifting her chin. "You taste different."

She raised an eyebrow. She had brushed her teeth after the last time she'd gotten sick.

"Not that," he said. "I mean. You. Down there. You taste different. Ever since you got pregnant." He smirked. "I like it."

She didn't know how to respond to that, so she just kissed him. "So, this is what it's like to be married."

"How do you feel about that?"

"Like I'm yours. Like I'll never get tired of being called Mrs. Scott."

"I'm yours," he told her. "All of me. Forever."

"This is a pretty good start to a honeymoon," she said, turning her body so she was against his. She kissed him, but stopped when she heard her stomach growl. She blushed and looked up at him, biting her lip.

"I'm hungry too. And not just for you. Although, I'm always hungry for you."

She laughed at his cheesy line. She was always hungry for him, if she was being honest with herself. But, she needed food. She had snacked on the plane. She had eaten a piece of cake on their way to the airport. She hadn't had a full meal since the wedding, though.

Nathan leaned over and opened the drawer to the table next to their bed. After rifling through it, he located a room service menu. "I thought maybe we order in tonight? It's been a long couple of days."

"Sounds perfect. Besides, I plan on keeping you in this room and naked for at least twelve more hours," she winked at him. He smiled and handed her the menu so she could decide on something to eat.

While she was looking over the menu, Nathan laughed.

"What? Is there something on my face?" Haley instantly began wiping away something on her face, even though nothing was there.

"No, I was just thinking about how star struck that customs official was when we got here. He was impressed to be letting THE Haley James into the U.K." Nathan smiled. The official hadn't even recognized him. It made sense; basketball wasn't that popular in England.

"Haley James Scott," she corrected him. "I have to tell you something."

"What?"

"I'm taking your name," she told him. "Not just personally. Professionally. From now on, all songs will be credited to Haley James Scott. All albums, all tours, all interviews, all merchandise. Haley James Scott. I want the whole world to never forget that I'm your wife."

Nathan was surprised. He hadn't thought of it. He'd been calling Haley 'Mrs. Scott' all day and loved it. He knew she'd be Mrs. Scott on her driver's license. He hadn't considered her career, though. She'd made such an identity for herself as Haley James. The world knew her as Haley James, but she was changing all of that for him.

He sat up against the pillows and she did the same, lying against his chest. He kissed her. He kissed her good and long. It was his way of saying thank you. They only pulled apart because her stomach growled again. They needed to eat. They had over a week to get back to kissing. They had a lifetime to get back to kissing.

"I've got some news for you, actually. Clay called," he told her. Since Nathan had made the decision to not return to basketball, they hadn't had much contact with Clay. It hadn't been necessary. He was still a friend, but their business relationship had ended.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, two days before the wedding. I didn't tell you because we were so busy and it isn't that important. He just, he had a job offer for me."

Haley sat up, her palm resting on Nathan's bare chest.

"ESPN is starting a new basketball show. It'll air three times a week. They're getting retired players to host it. They'll go over the week's games and some other big news going on with the game. Draft picks and stuff like that. They want me."

"Wow. Nathan, that's great. Do you want to do it?"

"I honestly haven't thought of it too much. I've been busy thinking about marrying you," he smiled. "But I guess it'd be kind of cool. I mean, I'd still get to be a part of the game and I still love watching and talking about it. I like that I wouldn't have to travel and leave you guys." His hand instinctively moved to cover her stomach. "I have a couple of weeks to make a decision about it. It would start when the season starts. In the fall."

"Are you leaning toward taking it?"

"I don't know. I also kind of thought of maybe going to school and taking some classes in physical fitness. I like coaching, Hales. I love coaching Sam and maybe I could coach other kids. I just know if I want to coach at an actual school, I need some classes for it. I know the game, but they want more."

She placed her hand on his cheek. "I love that both options keep you home with us. I want you to do what you love most. If you only do the show three times a week, maybe there would still be time for classes?"

"I don't know… I've never been that good with school."

"Well, luckily for you, you married a high school valedictorian who graduated from college with honors. She also sometimes goes by the name 'Tutor Wife.' I'm sure she would love to help you out."

"Yeah? Maybe. I'll think about it. With either one, I think it would be good to have something to do. Even if you are my sugar mama." He captured her lips with his, his tongue moving along her lips.

"Whatever will we find to do while we wait for food?" Haley picked up the room service menu and began looking through it again. "You think of some ideas while I find us something to eat." She winked at him before turning her eyes back to the menu.

* * *

Several weeks later, Nathan, Haley, and Sam were touring the country. Haley had already played several dates. She was playing to sold out crowds. Sam and Nathan would be waiting for her backstage or standing in the wings watching her. Both were so proud of her. Nathan could see just how great Haley was. She was a born performer. She was in her element and she had the crowd eating out of the palm of her hand, just by being her.

Her shows weren't fancy. Haley and her music were the focal point. She performed on stage with a small band, just a drummer and a bass player. Haley played the guitar and the piano herself. The bus was a little cramped, but they made do. Haley and Nathan wished that they had more alone time, but they knew it was only a matter of time. Once the tour was over, they would each be keeping to home and would be staying low key. Right now, this was Haley's time. She was doing what she loved. This was her opportunity to share her new music with her fans. Many were saying that it was easily her best album yet.

They were playing Charlotte that night. It was one of the larger venues that Haley would be playing. She always did well in Charlotte since it was her hometown. People always came out to see her and her show had sold out in a matter of hours.

In the audience was there family. They last saw them right after their honeymoon. Nathan and Haley had returned to North Carolina and spent a couple of days with her parents before the family headed off on tour. They were touring the east coast first and then would make their way west, finally ending in Los Angeles. As many as could come were at the show that night. Royal, Mae, Deb, Skills, Keith, Karen, and Lily were there. Jimmy, Lydia, Ned, Kate, Vivian, Alex, and Taylor were also there. Brooke, Julian, Lucas, and Peyton had flown in. Peyton and Brooke knew the reason they were really there. They'd assembled quite the cheering section and at one point Haley was sure she heard Taylor telling someone that they were sisters.

As fun as the tour bus could be, they were glad to be spending the night with her parents in a real bed. The next day, there would be a barbecue that the entire family would be attending. Haley and Nathan had told Sam about the baby earlier that morning. He had been excited, just as they'd hoped. He kept telling them that he couldn't wait to have a little brother. His parents had laughed and told him that it could end up being a little sister. They had him pinky swear not to mention it to anyone until after they told the family.

Three mornings earlier, Haley had woken Nathan with two simple words. "Twelve weeks." He knew exactly what she meant and he leaned in to kiss her. As much as they would have liked to take things further, they knew that their current living conditions didn't allow for it. They made do. They'd managed to find time to make love and sometimes in some rather unexpected places. They were never going as long as they had before the wedding ever again. While both had managed to resist, they knew it wasn't worth it.

* * *

When they were all gathered in the James's backyard the next afternoon, Haley and Nathan were bombarded with questions about their honeymoon. Their family wanted to know everything about London. There were, of course, a few jokes about whether or not they ever left the room. They had. Haley did actually want to see London and Nathan wanted to experience it with her. He'd enjoyed watching her get so excited about the city and its history. They took a romantic trip on the London Eye, where they could see the entire city. They even saw a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Globe Theatre. It had been a great honeymoon and they were happy to talk about it. Well, not all of it.

When everyone had their food and was spread out in the backyard, Nathan and Haley stood. Sam stood with them, standing on top of the picnic table that had been set up.

"We had something we wanted to talk with you all about," Haley announced. Nathan squeezed her hand in support and she saw Brooke and Peyton nod. They knew what was coming. So did Vivian.

"We, uh, we were thinking of having Christmas at our place again," Nathan suggested.

"That was a lot of work for you all," Mae pointed out.

"It was a lot of work. Which is why we'd have it my house," Brooke explained. She stepped in, knowing that Haley would need her space. If she was preparing everything at her house, she wouldn't get the rest she needed so far into her pregnancy.

"Yep. Doing it at Brooke's house. Of course, that means everyone else will be doing most of the work," Peyton quipped. It was a pattern in their friendship. Especially in times when one of them needed help. If one of them suggested something, the other would catch up and help further along their plans. It had been that way since Peyton's mom died when they were all so young.

"Two years in a row in California. I was kind of thinking it might be nice to have it here," Jimmy said.

"Well, you see, I won't be able to fly so close to my due date, which is in early January," Haley explained.

Everyone in the backyard went silent. They all stared at Nathan and Haley. Nathan had put his arm around Haley's shoulders and his hand on Sam's shoulder. Haley now freely let her hand go to her stomach, which was becoming more round. It still wasn't noticeable, but she could tell. Nathan could tell and he found himself loving her new curves. She'd always had great curves, but he loved the physical evidence of their pregnancy.

Finally, Ned spoke. "But you got married a month ago." He was an accountant, after all.

Realizing that Ned was right and quickly doing the math in their heads, Lydia and Jimmy burst out laughing. They were nearly doubled over when their laughter finally dissipated.

"Hey, good work, Nate," Jimmy encouraged him.

"That's what Haley said," Nathan beamed. That earned him a swat on the arm from his wife, but she could help the smile that came to her.

As news of Haley's pregnancy settled in, everyone took turns hugging and congratulating the couple. Haley noticed Jimmy giving Nathan a high five. Her parents were taking the news very well, even if Ned seemed a little uncomfortable. The last time had been so different. Almost everyone in that backyard knew it. As much as Ned knew how great it was that Haley had come so far, knowing that his baby sister was pregnant before her wedding wasn't something a big brother liked to hear. Nonetheless, he was happy for them. They looked genuinely happy and he was grateful that after their discussion nearly two years ago that she had done something for herself and let herself fully be with someone. Nathan was a good guy and he was great for Haley.

* * *

That night, Haley was sitting in the living room with her mother, sisters, Brooke, and Peyton. The guys were outside playing basketball. Some of the others had left already and Sam was upstairs sleeping.

"Now, the cat's out of the bag. Feeling better about that, Haley Bob?" Vivian was sitting next to Haley and nudged her shoulder with her own.

"Wait a minute, did Viv know?" Taylor took a sip from her beer.

"She figured it out. And Brooke and Peyton," Haley confessed.

"We can read Tutor Mom like a book," Brooke told them. "Besides, how big of a surprise is this? It was going to happen sooner or later. They can't keep their hands off of each other. I'll tell you, Tutor Wife, it's like once you started having sex, you couldn't stop."

Haley turned red, but everyone else was laughing.

"Well, I told you last March that I wanted more grandkids."

"I told Nathan about that. I was so worried that it would scare him away. It was pretty early in our relationship, but I was already so in love with him. He told me that he'd love for us to have kids someday."

"How long have you known?" Lydia was asking the questions now. She and Taylor were the only ones who hadn't known and Taylor was content to observe and offer the occasional comment.

"A while. Since right after Memorial Day. I'd been feeling sick and Nathan noticed it. We saw a doctor and here we are."

Haley picked up her phone and scrolled through some of the pictures. When she came to the picture of her sonogram, she handed the phone to her mother to see. "Sam's really excited. He can't wait. He seems sure that he's having a little brother."

"Are you tired?"

Haley nodded. "A little. I mean, having shows every night is tough. But I love having both Nathan and Sam there. I couldn't imagine doing it any other way. It isn't the most conventional way to spend the first few months of marriage."

"Please. Like you two were ever conventional," Taylor commented.

"She's got a point," Vivian agreed.

"For once in her life," Peyton joked. Taylor retaliated by sticking her tongue out at Peyton.

Their attention turned to the door when Nathan walked in. He was slightly out of breath from playing with his father-in-law and brothers-in-law.

"Well, if it isn't the young man who knocked up my daughter."

Nathan smirked. He knew that Lydia meant that as an endearment. Haley's family loved him and he always felt welcome with them.

"They're still playing," he told them, pointing outside.

"You know, it's getting late. I think I'll head up to bed," Haley excused herself. Given her busy schedule and her pregnancy, she was trying to get as much sleep as she possibly could. She was grateful for the day off between shows, but the day had still been a busy one.

"Goodnight," Nathan said, following Haley upstairs.

"You two keep it down up there," Taylor warned.

"Have you met your sister? They are so not doing that under her parents's roof," Peyton said.

"Besides, they totally did it earlier on the empty tour bus," Brooke revealed, causing everyone to laugh.

* * *

**Note:** Two more left. I'm going to try and do everything I can to get it done within the next week. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!


	60. Chapter FiftyNine

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Notes: **These are getting posted quicker than I thought they would. Technically, this is the last chapter, but there's one more. Thanks for reading and the reviews!

* * *

Haley looked over at the clock and then at Nathan. He was flat on his stomach. One arm was hanging over the edge of the bed and the other was gently brushing against her thigh. He was sound asleep, his hair sticking up at one angle from his head being on the pillow. Haley resisted the urge to run her hand over her husband's head. She thought it was adorable when he had bed head, but she also couldn't help touching him in some way. They had been married for over seven months and their friends liked to tease them. They were constantly being told they were still in their honeymoon phase. They were so affectionate.

It was early in the morning and the sun was still a couple of hours from coming up. Nathan had been working so hard; he needed his sleep. Thanks to Haley's promise to help him with his studies, Nathan had gone back to school and was now working on taking class that would help him with coaching. He had also taken the job with ESPN. Three nights a week, Nathan and a few other players spent an hour going over events in basketball. He was having more fun than he thought he would and it was great that he still got to be part of the game. His opinion about the game was valued and he was well respected for his experience.

Everyone had been on edge that week. They all knew it was only a matter of time before Haley went into labor. She'd been to the doctor and the doctor confirmed that they were close. Sam was excited. He hated that he had to go to school and feared he might miss out on the arrival of his new brother or sister.

Nathan also hated that he had to go to school and work. He wanted to be home with Haley as they awaited the birth of their child. She insisted that he go. She didn't want him to miss anything and promised that she would call him the moment it was time. Everyone at the show knew that Nathan might have to leave at a moment's notice. At school, he had spoken to his professors and they were all understanding. A new semester had just begun after the New Year. Classes were still new, but he was getting a lot out of them. He just didn't want to miss the birth of his child.

He made Brooke and Peyton promise to check on Haley throughout the day. They didn't even need to be asked. They would have been there anyway. They were the first time Haley was pregnant and even though this time was different, they were still at her side.

In the months since the wedding and the tour, Haley, Nathan, and Sam had settled well. She had taken it easier at work. She went back to having more structured hours. She was producing and not working on her own material, so that gave her a lighter schedule. Nathan was grateful for that. Every night, the family was home together by five. Nathan and Haley took turns picking up Sam from school and dropping him off.

However, once Sam went back to school after the winter holiday, Nathan had taken him to and from school. He just didn't want Haley driving anywhere. She was actually glad for it, because she couldn't reach the pedals of the car since she had to sit with the seat back so her belly would fit comfortable. It wasn't practical for driving. She was feeling fat. She had told Nathan about it. She was sure he found her disgusting, but later that night he had proven to her just how desirable he found her. She was beautiful and she was carrying their child.

As Haley watched Nathan sleep, she let her hand rest on her large stomach. She remembered the first time she had felt the baby kick. It happened in the middle of a show. Right in the middle of a song, she felt the baby kick against her guitar. She stopped and immediately ran off the stage to find Nathan. He was waiting for her in the wings. He looked concerned until he saw the big smile on her face. Without saying anything, she grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach. He felt it too. Ever since, the baby always kicked when Nathan was near. It was like the baby could sense that he was their father.

That was how news of Haley's pregnancy became public. After heading back on stage, she had to explain why she suddenly ran off. When she told them that she was pregnant, the audience cheered enthusiastically. She started the song over again from the beginning and played the show like it had never been interrupted. Within minutes, fans in the audience were tweeting the news, posting it to Facebook, and posting to various other message boards. Some had managed to capture it on video. Other than that public announcement, they had managed to keep very low key throughout her pregnancy.

Both Nathan and Haley felt a sense of complete bliss as they were together. Everything was perfect and they couldn't wait for their family to grow. Haley knew it would be happening today. She'd been feeling it. It happened with Sam, too. Haley had felt the contractions begin in the middle of the night. They had woken her up. She wasn't going to wake Nathan up. He'd been so busy and he needed his sleep. If she woke him up now, he would be awake with her right until it was time. No, she knew she wasn't ready yet so she waited. She was sure she could wait until after his morning class.

When Nathan did finally wake up that morning he could tell that something was going on with his wife. She shrugged it off and told him that she was fine and it was just a little discomfort. She reminded him that the doctor said it would happen when it got close and that she would call him if it was something more. So, she sent Nathan and Sam off on their day while she stayed home. She tried to find something to do. She wanted to keep busy before going to the hospital. She still didn't like hospitals. She still wanted to spend as little time at the hospital as she could.

She was upstairs organizing things in the nursery when the pains began to increase and become more frequent. She began timing them as she reorganized the baby's changing table. The room was painted yellow with a border of clouds at the top. They didn't know if they were having a boy or a girl. They decided that since the pregnancy was a complete surprise that the baby's sex would be too. Brooke had huffed and puffed about that. She wanted specifics so she could design clothing. Haley had to remind her that last time, finding out hadn't worked for them.

When the pain was getting stronger, Haley knew she couldn't put it off anymore. She knew that Nathan was halfway through his first class of the day. Sam had been dropped off at school before that. She knew that she would be interrupting his class with a phone call rather than a text, but she didn't want to tell her husband that she was in labor through a text message.

Nathan glanced down at his phone sitting on his desk. The LED display lit up and he saw Haley's name on the caller ID. Knowing that there was only one reason she would be calling, he scooped up his notebook, pen, jacket, and phone and ran out of the room. On his way out, he apologized and said quickly, "It's time!" He was met with stares as he departed.

"Hales?" Nathan was sprinting to the parking lot, wanting to get to his car as quickly as he could.

"It's time," she said.

"I'm on my way. I'll be there in no time."

"Okay."

"I love you, baby."

"I love you too."

All that Haley had to do now was wait. She made sure her bag was ready. She even opened it and looked through it. She was tempted to repack it, but realized she might not have enough time for that. Nathan would be trying to get there quickly. She was sure he'd be driving fast. She had her shoes on and was waiting by the front door when Nathan came running in. He almost came to a skidding halt when he ran in. He hadn't expected her to be waiting near the door.

"I'm all ready. Let's go," she said calmly. She was calm. She felt she had nothing to worry about. She had done this before and this time she would have her husband holding her hand.

Nathan's heart was racing. His child was about to be born. His mind was racing and it was taking him time to process everything. He knew he had to. He had to be there for Haley and the baby. Looking at her expectant face, he nodded. "Okay. Okay." He approached her and picked up her bag, then took her hand.

"Let's go have a baby," she said, knowing how cheesy the words were.

Nathan halted. "A baby. We're having a baby."

She squeezed his hand and pulled on it a little. She pulled him back to reality and the two made it out to Nathan's car. He'd left the driver's side door open in his hurry to get inside.

They were driving to the hospital. Nathan was having trouble focusing on both driving and Haley. He kept wanting to look to her. He wanted to check on her, but he also wanted to look to her for guidance. She had done this before and he hadn't. She seemed so calm and at peace. He knew that he needed to pay attention to his driving. It would do them no good to get in an accident on the way of the hospital. Nathan didn't even want to think about that.

"Sam," Haley suddenly spoke.

"It's okay. On my way home I called Peyton. She and Brooke are going to pick him up and bring him to the hospital." Nathan had at least thought of that. As soon as he got off the phone with Haley and before he made it to his car, he managed to call Peyton. When he told her that Haley was in labor, she told him that she would go to the house. He instead asked her to get Sam. She had been happy to help and couldn't help but remember that last time she had been the one to drive Haley to the hospital.

"You're so calm," Nathan commented as they were a mile or so from the hospital.

"It's because I have you here, Nathan."

"But I'm freaking out, Hales."

"But you're here. You're here to hold my hand. You're going to be with me in the delivery room holding my hand and to see our little son or daughter for the first time. I have you here. I know everything is going to be fine."

He nodded. "I'll try to calm down," he said as he pulled into a parking space at the hospital. He held her hand and carried her bag as they walked into the hospital. They calmly made their way to the maternity ward. The minute Nathan had Haley's hand in his, he felt a little more at ease. He was still nervous. It was impossible for him not to be.

The maternity ward wasn't very busy and as soon as they got there and signed in, Haley was placed in a wheelchair and taken to a room. She had insisted that she could walk on her own, but it was hospital procedure. Nathan stood aside as the nurse helped Haley get into a gown and began checking her vitals. Haley was just getting settled into the bed when their doctor came in.

"Haley, right on schedule! How long have you been in labor?"

"Since about one this morning," she admitted, looking sheepishly at her husband.

"Hales…" Nathan wanted to talk to her immediately, but knew it was more important for her to speak to her doctor.

"Well, you're almost fully dilated. You're in good shape and everything seems to be going normally. How far are the contractions?"

"About seven minutes," she answered. "I've been timing them all morning. I called Nathan when they hit ten minutes. It hit seven in the car on the way here."

"Very good. I'll come check on you in a little bit, but it shouldn't be too much longer."

Dr. Gore was the obstetrician that Dr. Russell had referred them to and he had been great. He was laidback and understanding. Nathan and Haley had felt at ease with him right away. He even helped keep track of them while they were on tour. He made himself available for them and even allowed them to call him while they were driving across the country.

When he left the room, Nathan went to sit on the edge of Haley's bed. He had noticed in the car ride that Haley would occasionally wince from the pain and he wished he could take it away from her. He noticed her wincing now and took her hand. She immediately squeezed on it, gripping it as the pain went through her abdomen.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine, Nathan." Haley was now fully reclined on the bed.

"You've been in labor since the middle of the night, Hales."

"I know," she nodded. "But I knew it wasn't time yet. I also didn't want to be at the hospital that long."

She didn't have to explain. He understood it completely and he wasn't surprised. "You hate hospitals."

"Yeah."

"Just, do me a favor. Next time, tell me. We don't have to go to the hospital, but I want to be there for you."

"You had class, Nathan. Sam had school."

"Hales, this is our child we're talking about. It's not like this baby is an inconvenience."

She nodded and chewed on her lip. "I know." She looked at him and smiled. Somehow, his hair was still going in several directions. She looked at the black v-neck sweater and jeans he had on and smiled at his appearance. "So, next time?"

Nathan smirked. "You think this is the last time? I told you, I want kids with you. More than one and more than the two we already have. Besides, you can't resist me. I saw you checking me out just now."

"I was not!" Her face was turning red.

"Uh huh, sure. I told you I was sexy, Haley. I've always told you that."

Haley pouted. "Maybe so. Fine, so this might not be the last time we do this. Next time, I promise I'll tell you right away. Or at least after you wake up."

"Nope. Not good enough. You tell me right away. If you don't, I'm keeping this body from you," he said, pointing to himself. "You don't get this unless you tell me right away that you're in labor. And it's not that this might not be the last time. If I have anything to say about it, it won't be."

Haley laughed. "You know, you're not the one who has to go through the birthing process. I've got news for you, babe, it hurts."

"It's worth it, right?"

"Yeah, it's definitely worth it. It's worth all the pain in the world." They placed their joined hands on her stomach and stared into each other's eyes.

"When it really starts to hurt, you just hold my hand, Hales. I'll be right here."

"I know, Nathan. I love you so much."

"I love you too," he said, leaning in to kiss his wife.

"And maybe I was checking you out. It's not my fault. Like you said, you're sexy."

"So are you," he said, keeping his face near hers.

"Please, Nathan, I'm the size of a whale."

"Are you kidding me? You've barely gained any weight. Dr. Gore told you to eat more. That woman in his waiting room at our last appointment couldn't believe that we were almost due."

"You're just trying to make me feel better," she grabbed into his hand and squeezed as another contraction came.

"That one came quicker than the last one," Nathan noticed.

Haley nodded.

"And I may be saying it to make you feel better, but that doesn't mean it's not true."

"HALEY!"

Nathan and Haley turned their heads toward the open doorway when they heard Brooke's raspy voice from somewhere else in the maternity ward. They both laughed a little at her behavior. Some things never changed. A nurse must have pointed them in the right direction, because Brooke, Peyton, and Sam walked into the room a few moments later. Sam ran up to the hospital bed and climbed up to sit next to his parents.

"Is it time, mommy?"

Sam was six years-old now and in the first grade. Haley couldn't believe how much her little boy had grown. It had felt like yesterday when she gave birth to him. Now, here she was, about to give birth to a little brother or sister for him.

"Almost time, buddy," Nathan answered.

"How you doin', Foxy?" Peyton leaned against the wall while Brooke took the empty chair.

"I'm okay. A little painful."

"It hurts?" Sam's eyes went wide. He didn't realize his mother would be in pain.

"I'm okay, sweetie. Mommy's okay."

"Can I touch?" Sam had been there the first time Haley felt the baby kick, when she ran off stage to find Nathan. He loved feeling the baby kick, but always asked for permission before touching.

Haley nodded her head. Both of Sam's little hands went to her stomach. They were so small that they didn't cover her stomach completely.

Peyton, Brooke, and Sam stayed with them until it was time for Haley to deliver. During that time, Haley had explained to Sam just what was going to happen, but not in full detail. She also took the time to thank Brooke and Peyton for always being there for her. It wasn't lost on her that last time they were the ones holding her hands. Nathan had barely let go of hers since they'd gotten to the hospital.

Nathan was instructed to put on a smock and cap as Haley was wheeled into the delivery room. He was back by her side in no time. Dr. Gore and some nurses were in the room and Haley was being instructed to push.

While on tour, Nathan had read several pregnancy books. It had surprised Haley when she walked onto the bus after a sound check and found him reading one. It wasn't the last one he would read. He eagerly attended Lamaze classes and did what he could to learn what was coming. Haley may have done this before, but he hadn't.

He was the perfect husband as she pushed and breathed, pushed and breathed. He held her hand. He let her squeeze his hand nearly to the point of crushing it. He offered soothing words to her, tried to make jokes, and would wipe the sweat from her forehead. Toward the end, when the pain was getting bad as the baby's head was crowning, Haley took a moment and stopped pushing, needing a breather. She let her head fall onto Nathan's forehead and he whispered into her ear.

"You're the strongest person I know. You said all this pain would be worth it. You're not alone. You can do this."

That was the encouragement that she needed. A few more pushes and the sound of crying filled the room.

"Congratulations, mom and dad. You have a daughter," Dr. Gore declared.

Neither Nathan nor Haley could help the tears that sprang from their eyes as they heard they had a daughter and as their daughter's cries could be heard in the room. Haley ignored the discomfort she was still feeling. The pain was gone. She had done it. She had delivered a healthy daughter for her and Nathan.

Nathan didn't even let go of her hand as he cut the umbilical cord. He only needed one hand to do it, but he paused when he caught sight of his daughter. She was a pinky, gooey mess, but she was his daughter. He thought he had fallen instantly in love with the baby the first time he saw the sonogram, when he was calling the baby 'Bean.' He was now looking at his daughter, though and he couldn't help the emotion that came to him.

He had considered fatherhood and he was a father to Sam. Sam was his son and there was no argument about it. This was the first time he'd seen a baby right after delivery and it was his own daughter. The weight of it hit him like a ton of bricks, but instead of falling, he felt like he was floating. That was his and Haley's daughter.

Once the baby was cleaned off and looked over, she was handed to her parents. She was so tiny. Just over seven pounds and she fit into the cradle of Haley's arms like she was born to be there. She was born to be there. She was still crying, but not nearly as much as she had when she first came from the womb. She seemed to instantly calm down when she opened her eyes and saw her parents staring down at her.

They looked on their daughter with awe. She was beautiful. She was everything they could have hoped for and more.

"Look what we did," Haley marveled to Nathan.

"We… we did that. We made that," he said, his voice having a tone of reverence. "She's beautiful. She looks just like her mommy."

Haley laughed. She knew how much babies changed from the time they were born. She would indulge Nathan, though. She didn't want to ruin this moment. This moment was perfect for them.

"She needs a name," Haley said. "We can't keep calling her Bean."

"Why not?" Nathan was joking. He knew that.

"Because she'll get teased at school."

They had talked about names and they had picked names for a boy and for a girl. Nathan hadn't told Haley, but he planned on saving the name they didn't need for a future child. Both were great names.

"Alice Della Scott," Nathan said his daughter's full name to her for the first time. "Hi there, baby Alice."

"Alice Della Scott," Haley repeated. "She looks like an Alice," Haley said, looking down at their daughter.

They had chosen Alice just because they liked it. It was simple and classic and "Alice in Wonderland" had been one of Haley's favorite stories as a girl. Della was the middle name that Brooke and Peyton had chosen when Haley had been pregnant last time. They had told her what they had chosen not long after Sam had been born and Haley actually thought it was beautiful. She and Nathan hadn't told them that they would still be using the name. Now, both of Haley's children had middle names picked out by her very best friends. Haley knew that Alice Della would be spoiled rotten by her Aunt Peyton and Aunt Brooke.

Calls were made. Family was informed of Alice's arrival. Everyone was excited and was trying to figure out when they could get to California to meet baby Alice. A lot of them were hoping that Haley might go into labor a little early so the baby would be born over Christmas so that they could be there for it, but they knew it wasn't realistic.

Lydia James had done a conference call with all of the James siblings and this time, none of them were curious as to what it was about. They all knew that Haley would be having the baby soon, so when they all found themselves on the phone with Nathan, they knew what it was about. They were all thrilled about the arrival of Alice Della. Nathan had sent them all a picture as soon as they were off the phone. He hadn't stopped taking pictures except when he was holding Alice.

The minute Sam had seen his sister all thoughts of a brother were forgotten. He gently placed his hand on her head, which was covered with a little pink beanie. He was affectionate, but almost acted as if he were afraid of breaking her.

Peyton and Brooke had been so touched when they heard what the baby's middle name was. Lucas and Julian had arrived not long after Alice had been born. Lucas was an uncle and the baby's godfather. He was so proud of his little brother.

* * *

A few days later, they finally had Alice home with them. It had been chaotic. Like all newborns, she didn't have a sleep schedule. She slept and woke up just as she pleased. When she wasn't doing that, she was eating. This meant that Haley was getting maybe an hour of sleep at a time as she nursed Alice. Nathan felt so bad for her and tried to stay awake with her whenever Alice woke up. She made him promise to sleep, though. She told him that since she was so busy with Alice, they both were, that she needed him well rested since they also had Sam to consider.

Sam had been wonderful. He just wanted to help with his sister and had even asked to help with diapers. Nathan had laughed, but showed him now to do it. After Nathan showed Sam how to do it, Sam lost interest. He would find other ways to help. He did this by making sandwiches for his parents, even if he didn't think they were hungry. He just thought they might be. They were careful not to exclude Sam. They still did everything as a family. Haley and Nathan wanted to make sure that Sam never felt like he was any less important to either Haley or Nathan.

It was early in the morning, two days after Alice was brought home, when Haley woke from a short nap. She didn't find Nathan in their room, but noticed a small light coming from the nursery. She stopped in the doorway when she saw him standing in the middle of the nursery, holding their daughter. He was in his pajama pants, barefoot, and shirtless. He had Alice close to his chest and was holding her like there was nothing more important in the world. He was rocking her gently in his arms as he shuffled from foot to foot. The constant movement was helping to sooth her.

"Your mommy thinks I'm a little crazy, but I know you look just like her, Alice. You have those big, beautiful, brown eyes of hers. This means when you get older, we might have a problem. Boys. Your big brother Sam is a great kid. He's gonna help protect you in case any of those boys get out of line. They will get out of line. It's what boys do. I know because I am a boy and I got out of line a lot when I was a kid.

"Then, I met your mom and everything changed. She's the best thing that has ever happened to me, Alice. She gave me your brother and she gave me you. She gave me this family. And you don't know it yet, but your mother is the strongest woman in the world. If you get half of her strength, I'll be a happy man. You don't know how strong she is and I don't know if you ever will. That's up to her. But trust me.

"Your mom is the greatest woman in the world. She's beautiful and she's kind. Her goodness is just… I can't explain it, Alice. But she changed my life. I wouldn't be the man I am today without her. I'm always gonna be grateful for that because the man I am now is the one who you've got as a dad. You wouldn't have wanted the guy I was before for that. But I'm gonna do everything for you, Alice. Everything to keep you safe and happy. I love you."

Haley had tears streaming down her face. God, she loved this man. She fell in love with him all over again constantly and this was one of those times. It was beautiful watching him with their daughter. He was saying such beautiful things to their little girl. He was saying such beautiful things about her, but more importantly, he was saying beautiful things that he wanted for their daughter.

Nathan turned around and noticed his wife. He could see she'd been crying and his face turned to worry.

"You're a beautiful man, Nathan Scott. You're a great man and a great father. And you changed my life and helped make me the woman I am. I love you. For that and for so much more."

She closed the space between them and kissed him, settling her hand on their daughter's head. As they were kissing, Alice began to cry and Haley looked down at their daughter.

"Late night snack time," Nathan said. Haley sat in the rocking chair in the nursery and Nathan handed Alice over so that Haley could feed her. It was beautiful, watching Alice latch onto her mother's breast and feed. Nathan could watch for hours. Ever since his daughter had been born, he'd been in awe.

"I love you, Hales."

* * *

**Notes:** All that's left is the epilogue. I have something very specific planned for that. Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	61. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** One Tree Hill, Nathan, Haley, and the others belong to Mark Schwahn, Warner Bros, The CW, etc..

**Note:** Well, this is it. The last chapter. More comments at the end. Thank you so much, everyone!

* * *

"You're not gonna tell me what happened?" Nathan looked over at his son as they drove through the streets of Tree Hill. The school day was over and thirteen year-old Sam James had gotten sent to Principal Sloane's office for fighting. He refused to tell Nathan what had happened. Sam had never been in a fight before in his life. He and Haley had always taught him that there were better ways to solve problems. He'd been such a well behaved boy that they hadn't had any trouble. Until now.

The family had moved to Tree Hill three years after Alice had been born. It all started when Lucas decided that he wanted to move back to Tree Hill. Keith offered him part ownership of the garage and Lucas claimed that he always did his best writing in the quiet, idyllic setting of Tree Hill. Because he and Peyton were married, she would be coming with him. He had made concessions for her career. He had always been understanding about her career and her business that she couldn't say no to his request to move to Tree Hill.

Well, Brooke Davis Baker was not happy about that. She, Haley, and Peyton hadn't been separated by geography in their entire friendship. Brooke had immediately run over to Nathan and Haley's house and insisted that everyone move to Tree Hill. She suggested that not only they move, but that they move the company. As Brooke pointed out, she could design clothes anywhere. She also suggested that it might benefit Red Bedroom Records to be away from the bustle of Los Angeles. Artists might enjoy being in a peaceful place without the stress of paparazzi and tabloid reporters.

The truth was, Nathan and Haley had discussed buying property in Tree Hill before that. Their family had grown and they wanted their kids to be around their family. Tree Hill was where Nathan's family was and it was close enough to Haley's family. Even though Sam had friends who he would miss, they realized it would be better to make the move when they're children were young than when they were older and more attached to Los Angeles. As Haley had told Nathan before, Los Angeles had never been home. It was just where they had settled.

So, the family of six decided to pack everything up and move to Tree Hill. There were six of them now. Two years after Alice was born, Haley gave birth to the twins. Grace Eleanor Scott and James Lucas Scott had been a surprise, just as Sam and Alice had been. Haley and Nathan had joked about giving up on birth control, but they did just that. They figured they shouldn't bother. They wanted more children and if biology had more planned for them, then so be it. Sam and Alice were great older siblings and though Nathan and Haley were often exhausted in those first few years, it was all worth it.

They bought a house right on the banks of the Cape Fear River. It was large enough, but not too large. They had a big backyard for the kids to run around and play in. When they moved, Nathan had stepped down from his position at ESPN. He enjoyed the job, but since taking classes and looking into coaching, he found that he enjoyed that more. After first arriving in Tree Hill, Whitey offered him the position of assistant coach of the Ravens. After Whitey's retirement, Nathan had been promoted to head coach. He was also teaching boys physical education for two periods each day.

It was now early spring in Tree Hill. Sam was now thirteen, Alice was nearly seven. The twins were four, going on five. Nathan couldn't imagine what would have provoked Sam to get into a fight, but his son was now sporting a large bruise on his cheek.

"You know you're grounded," Nathan stated. He hated doing it. They didn't have to do it often because Sam was so well behaved. "We'll be talking to your mother when we get home."

Sam still remained quiet. When Nathan had first asked about the fight, Sam had shrugged it off and said it was nothing. It was the same thing he'd told Principal Sloane. Nathan had been done with his classes for the day and was called over to the middle school. He had been shocked to find Sam sitting there. He looked so ashamed and Nathan thought he almost looked like he was sad. Another boy was sitting across from him with a scowl on his face and a cut on his lip.

When they walked in the house, they found Haley in the kitchen and Alice, Jamie, and Grace playing in the living room. On the floor, in front of the sofa, an assortment of toys were strewn about. The twins were busying themselves with a pirate playset while Alice was working on a coloring book.

Haley smiled when she saw them walk in, but her smile faltered when she saw Sam's face.

"What happened?" She walked from behind the kitchen counter and took her boy's face in her hands, gently touching the bruise on his face. He was now almost as tall as she was and they were sure he'd end up being over six feet tall.

"He got into a fight," Nathan explained, setting his keys and whistle on the hook near the door. "Principal Sloane called just as I was finishing up classes. He won't say what it was about. Other than saying it was nothing, he hasn't said anything." Nathan kept his voice low so that the younger kids couldn't hear them.

Haley looked at her oldest sternly. She took her hands from his face and pointed in the direction of the stairs. "Your room. Now. When we come up there, you're going to tell us what happened. Am I understood, Samuel Nathan Scott?"

Sam didn't answer. He just turned around and went upstairs. Haley stood there, shocked. She wasn't used to this kind of behavior from Sam.

"Nathan, something had to have happened for him to do this. This isn't like him."

Nathan nodded. "I know. He wouldn't say anything, but when I went to get him, he looked embarrassed and like he was hurt. Not just from the fight. Like the sad kind of hurt."

"Do you know the other boy he fought with?"

"It was that Jeremy Thompson kid. That one who likes to mouth off to everyone."

Haley bit her lip. She remembered that kid. She had seen him at various school events and he was on Sam's Little League team. He was definitely a trouble maker, but Sam had always laughed it off and tried to be nice to the kid.

She was about to go upstairs when Nathan stopped her. "Hales, I know he wouldn't talk to me in the car, but maybe I should go up there. I don't know, fighting's kind of a guy thing."

She bit her lip again and nodded.

"I'll head up there in a minute." Nathan kissed the top of her head before turning to the living room where his other children were. Nathan greeted them each and they all scrambled to get onto his lap. Haley was smiling as she watched. Nathan was such a great father and their children adored him.

Nathan found Sam lying flat on his back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had his hands clasped behind his head and didn't even move when he heard his father come in. Nathan shoved Sam's legs over and sat down.

"You have to talk to me. You know you can tell me and your mom anything, Sam. We both understand that you would only get into a fight if you had a good reason. We just want to know what happened so we can help you."

Sam sighed. He still didn't look at his father. "He just said some stuff and I got mad."

"What did he say?" Nathan was relieved that Sam was at least speaking now.

"It's nothing."

"Sam, it's not nothing. We both know it had to be something pretty bad for you to resort to fighting. You also know that if you don't tell us, it's gonna be that much worse for you. Talk to me, buddy."

Sam bit his lip. It was a habit he learned from his mother.

"Sam."

"He called mom a slut."

Nathan had no idea how to respond to that. Why would a thirteen year-old boy be calling his wife a slut? Now Nathan wanted to hit the kid.

"He said I didn't know who my real dad was. Then he called mom a slut and said she probably doesn't know either."

Nathan could feel the anger boiling in his veins. He knew he needed to calm down, though. Honestly, if someone had said that to him about Haley, he would have beaten the guy senseless. He wouldn't have been able to show any restraint.

"The thing is, I don't know, do I?" Sam had also inherited his mother's habit of talking. Once he got started, he couldn't stop. "I mean, I know you're my dad, but before you guys, it was just me and my mom and she doesn't talk about, well, you know. She doesn't and I don't know."

"You know, Jeremy Thompson is wrong. You know that because you know you're mother."

Sam nodded. Nathan was relieved. Sam would never believe anything like that. Nathan knew that this day was going to come. Sam was going to eventually have questions. It looked like it was now that day.

"Why won't she tell me, dad?"

Nathan knew the answer to that, but he couldn't tell Sam. It wasn't his place. He needed to talk to Haley right away.

"You need to stay up here until we say so. I've got to go talk to your mother." Nathan didn't wait for Sam to answer. He stood up and walked out of the room. He left the door slightly ajar.

* * *

Nathan found Haley cutting up a tomato to prepare for dinner. She looked when she heard him come in. Before approaching her, he looked over at the kids. They were still happily playing. Nathan took Haley's hand in his and leaned in to kiss her.

They were teased a lot. Nearly eight years of marriage and they still couldn't keep their hands off of each other. Every day they woke up, thanking their lucky stars that they'd found each other and created this beautiful family.

"Did he talk to you?"

Nathan nodded.

Haley could see how conflicted and worried he was, which only worried her. "Nathan, what happened?"

He urged her back a few steps, making sure they were definitely out of ear shot from the other kids.

"That Thompson kid, he said that Sam didn't know who his real dad was."

Haley's hand covered her mouth and she looked down at the floor. Nathan was still holding onto her hand.

"Hales, he seemed a little frustrated that he didn't know."

Haley could feel her heart beating wildly. She knew this was going to happen. She felt like it was too soon. He was still so young. He was a teenager. He'd be fourteen that coming fall and would be starting high school. He was growing up, but he was still her little boy.

"Hales, you don't have to do this today." Nathan rubbed his hands down Haley's arms.

"Nathan. He's getting into fights. It's not going to be easy." Her voice was quiet. She tried to hold it together. She had to. "I, um, I'm going to call Brooke and see if she'll watch the kids for a little bit."

"Are you sure? I can stay down here with them."

Haley grabbed onto one of Nathan's hands with both of hers. "I need you with me, Nathan."

He nodded. That was all he needed to hear. He would be there for Haley for whatever she needed. He knew that his son was also going to need him.

"Brooke," Haley had dialed her cell phone without letting go of Nathan's hand. "Can you come pick up Alice, Jamie, and Grace? Nathan and I need to talk to Sam and it would be best to do that without the kids here."

Brooke understood immediately what was happening and quickly, she and Peyton arrived to get the kids.

"I hope you know we're taking them for ice cream and getting them hyped up on sugar," Brooke told her.

Haley laughed softly. "Thanks for doing this, guys."

"You let us know if you need anything, Tutor Wife Mom. Anything." The three women hugged before Brooke and Peyton left with the kids.

Haley turned around and gripped the counter and breathed in. "Just give me a minute, Nathan."

"Take all the time you need, Hales."

* * *

When Haley felt like she had collected herself as well as she could have, she and Nathan walked upstairs, hand in hand. They found Sam on his bed, in the same position that Nathan had left him in. They each took a seat on the edge of his bed, one on one side and the other on the other side. Sam actually sat up this time to talk to them

"I'm sorry, mom. I didn't want to hit him. Even when he said I didn't know who my real dad was. But then he called you a slut and said you probably didn't even know."

Haley looked at her husband. He had left out that piece of information. She looked back at her son and could see how guilty he felt. She now understood why Nathan had said he looked hurt when he picked him up.

"Sam, sweetie, I love you for sticking up for me. But you know that you can't fight."

Sam nodded and looked down at his hands.

Haley sucked in a breath and looked at her boy. "Sam, what Jeremy Thompson said, have you been thinking about that?"

Sam didn't say anything; he stayed quiet and kept his eyes on his hands. He didn't want to ask about it. He didn't want his parents to feel like he felt like he had missed out on anything.

"Sam. It's okay if you have. I expect it."

Nathan watched his wife and their son. He didn't say anything because he felt it wasn't his place. His place was to be there to support them, but this was a conversation that the two of them needed to have on their own.

"I guess…," Sam stammered, "I guess I'm curious. I know dad adopted me. I remember that. I remember that before you two started going out it was just you and me."

"You asked me once before. You were three years-old."

"What did you say?"

"I said that sometimes, kids don't have daddies. But, their mom's loved them so much that it was okay. I do love you, Sam. So much."

"I know. And I know I have a dad. I just don't know about before."

"Sam, do you want to know the truth? I will tell you if you want. No one has a right to know more than you do. It's your choice."

Before Sam could answer, Nathan stood from his spot and went and sat behind Haley on the side of the bed she was on. She had one hand on Sam's bed and another in her lap. Nathan wrapped his arm around her and took the hand in her lap in his.

"What? Did he leave you?" Sam couldn't figure out why his father had taken such a protective position with his mother. He recognized it immediately. Nathan had gone to Haley so that she could hold onto him and lean on him. Sam could also see the conflict in his mother's features. This almost looked painful for her. What could have happened?

"Do you want to know, Sam?" Haley tried to keep her voice strong.

Sam debated whether or not to ask for the truth. It was hurting his mother; he could see that. But now that he knew it was something that caused this strong of a reaction for her, he had to know. Slowly, he looked up at her and nodded. "Yes."

"Okay," Haley nodded. She tightened her grip on her husband's hand and brought the other hand to her stomach. She looked up at Nathan and saw concern and love in his eyes. It was always love. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Mom?" Sam couldn't control the worry in his voice.

Haley had seen Damien Smith every day in court. She tried not to look at him, but sometimes it was difficult not to. She had to look at him as she testified. She had to tell the jury that he was the man who had raped her. She had to look into his cold, dead eyes and see his lips turning into a smile that looked more like a sneer. His thin frame was covered in an orange jumpsuit and he sat at the defense table with handcuffs on his wrists. It was s stark contrast to how he'd looked the night he had raped her. That night, he still wore that sneer. He had thought he was being romantic, it seemed. He had been drunk and the smell still caused Haley's stomach to churn sometimes.

"I think about what happened the night you were conceived less and less, Sam. You were the only good thing to come from what happened. You gave me hope and life after that night. You are the reason I am here. I love you so much and I've just wanted you to know nothing but love because I knew eventually I would have to tell you this.

"I, um," tears were beginning to form in Haley's eyes, "I was at Stanford and it was my junior year. My friend Crissy borrowed some notes and we met up that night so she could give them back to me. I was walking home when it happened."

"Mom?" Sam was getting a sick feeling deep in the pit of his stomach.

"I met your father that night and when I heard that voice, at first I thought he'd come back. It wasn't him, though. It was someone by the name of Damien Smith." Haley looked at Sam and knew that he was putting the pieces together, especially since Haley was now crying, tears falling down her cheeks gradually. "He raped me, Sam."

Haley had tried to imagine how her son would react to hearing this the first time, but nothing could have prepared her for the look of horror on his face after hearing those words.

Haley wiped the tears from her cheeks, but kept her other hand in her husband's. "I've always said you didn't have a father before your father because you didn't. That person wasn't your father, Sam. He got me pregnant, but he wasn't a father. He didn't deserve to be a father to someone as great as you."

Haley let go of Nathan's hand and quickly moved forward, taking Sam's head in her hands and forcing him to look at her. "You listen to me, Sam. I don't regret you. I regret nothing about you. You were something beautiful and innocent that came out of something ugly. You have never once reminded me of what happened to me. Not once. I don't know why. I thought for a while you would. But you have been such a perfect, wonderful son that I never think about that. Not when I look at you and not when I think about you. Never. I love you, Sam. You, for me, are hope."

"You kept me," Sam said quietly. "You kept me. Why did you keep me? Why didn't you have an abortion or something or give me to someone else?"

"I never considered an abortion. I wasn't going to deprive you of life because of something you had no control over. And I did keep you. I wasn't sure if I would, but I just, I fell in love with you, Sam. I can't explain it any better than that. I love you. You are my son."

Sam removed his mother's hands from his face. "Do you think I could be alone for a while?"

Haley again wiped the tears from her cheeks and nodded. "If you have any questions, Sam, go ahead and ask. Like I said, no one has more of a right to know than you. I just need to ask you for a favor. Keep this between us. Your brother and your sisters, they aren't old enough to understand this."

When Haley and Nathan had left the room, she turned to him and clutched him. She held him close, as if he was a buoy and she was stuck in open water. He was keeping her afloat. She let more tears fall and they made his black Ravens polo damp. He held her close, rubbing her back and kissing the top of her head. They weren't sure how long they stood like that. He would have held her as long as she needed it.

What she seemed to want was some normalcy. She wanted some normalcy and she wanted him. They texted Brooke and Peyton to bring the kids back home and cooked dinner together silently while they waited for them. When Brooke and Peyton got there, they asked how Haley was and how Sam was. She gave them a short answer, but said she would explain later. They understood and after hugs for everyone, they left the family to themselves.

Dinner that night was quiet. Haley figured she would take a plate up to Sam when they were all done. After they ate, Nathan offered to clean up while she put the kids to bed. She took great comfort in putting her youngest children into pajamas and reading them a bedtime story.

Nathan had taken comfort in seeing Haley make her way up the stairs with their children. Alice led the way with Jamie behind her. Grace was walking next to her mother, holding her hand.

Nathan was in the middle of washing dishes when he saw Sam walking downstairs. Sam took a seat on the bar stool at the counter.

"Your mom's putting them to bed."

"I know. I heard her reading "Goodnight Moon.""

"How are you?"

Sam hesitated before answering. "I can't figure out why she kept me."

"Stop wondering that." Nathan didn't want to hear that. He'd never seen anything like the love Haley had for Sam. "She loves you and until a couple of hours ago, you never once had a reason to question that, right?"

Sam nodded. Nathan placed a plate of food in front of him.

"When did you find out?"

"About two months after we started dating."

"Were you okay with it?"

"Of course not. It didn't change how I felt about her. But I wasn't okay with it. I was already in love with her, Sam. And knowing that it happened and that she loved you the way she did made me love her even more. But I wasn't okay with it and if the sick bastard wasn't already dead, I would have killed him myself. I hate that someone hurt her so much."

Sam looked at his father, shocked. "He's dead?"

Nathan winced. Maybe he shouldn't have said that. Maybe that should have been up to Haley. It was too late now. "He died in jail the day he was supposed to be sentenced."

Sam nodded and pushed the food around on his plate with his fork. "You never treat me any different."

"No. I love you, Sam. The boy I met that day at the Hollywood Bowl wasn't someone who was conceived because his mother was raped. He was a little boy who was loved by his mother. I had never seen that kind of love before. Never. I was blown away by it. You were, you are, such a great kid that I have never looked at you and thought of you as a reminder of what happened to your mom."

"But I exist because someone hurt her."

"No, you don't," Nathan answered. He was drying a plate and was thinking, wanting to use just the right words. "You were conceived because of that. You exist because your mother had the compassion and love in her to make sure that you would be born and that you would be healthy and loved. You're here because of her. You're here because of how much she loves you.

"I know you're going through a lot right now, but try to remember that, son. We both love you. Have you ever felt like we loved you any different than your sisters and your brother?"

Sam shook his head. It was the truth. Ever since Alice had been born, Nathan and Haley had made sure that Sam never felt like he was any less special because he just wasn't. All four of their children were loved equally.

"Do you mind if I just go up to bed, dad?"

"Not at all. But, Sam, no video games for two weeks. I know you've had a lot to deal with today and if someone had said something like that about your mom to me, I probably would have hit 'em too. But, you know better than to fight. And Sam, if you have more questions, we'll answer them. Your Aunt Brooke and Aunt Peyton will too."

"They know?"

"They were with your mom. They were there after… after the attack and everything after it. Including the day you were born."

Sam just nodded his head and went back upstairs.

* * *

The night, Haley laid wrapped in Nathan's arms. They had made love. It was slow and quiet, but it was what she needed after the day they had had.

"Thanks for being with me today," she said, tracing patterns on his chest.

"Where else would I be, Hales?"

"I know. I know that, I do. Nowhere else but with your family."

"You guys are everything to me, Hales. You always have been." He brought her left hand to his and kissed her ring finger, where her wedding band was. It was always there. The only time she had removed it was to see the inscription he had put on the inside. He had told her after their wedding that he had done it. His was the same. Engraved on the inside was, "Always & Forever." The wedding bands were now like a second skin to them. They belonged there.

"He talked to me," Nathan told her. They hadn't had the chance to talk. When Nathan came into their bedroom that night, Haley had immediately kissed him, pulled him to their bed, and began undressing him. It was what she needed and he understood that.

"He did?" Haley stayed reclined against him, but looked up at him.

"I accidentally told him that he was dead. I don't know if you wanted to do that or not. He had a few questions about how I handled it when you told me. He'll be okay, Hales. He knows we all love him. He just needs some time to think about it all. I think… I think he just doesn't really understand why you kept him."

"I love him," Haley protested.

"I know. And he knows that. Like I said, I think he just needs time to process it. It'll take some time, but he's got a great family around him. He'll get there. It helps he's got the world's greatest mom."

"You're a great father, you know that?" Haley put her hand under Nathan's chin, feeling the ever so slight stubble underneath her fingertips.

"Everything I know about parenting, I learned from you."

"Our children are so lucky to have you, Nathan. All five of them."

"Four," he corrected her. "We have four kids, Hales. Sam, Alice, Grace, and Jamie."

"Five," she repeated. She pulled his large, capable hand and put it on her stomach. The feel of his calloused fingers brushed against her smooth abdomen. "Five."

Nathan's eyes went wide. After the day they'd had, he had never expected this. He didn't expect this any of the times it had happened.

"You're… you're pregnant?"

She nodded and bit her lip. "We're pregnant. Again. I was going to tell you earlier, but we got sidetracked."

Nathan leaned in and kissed his wife. He put one hand on the side of her face. Their smiles pressed against each other as they kissed and Nathan maneuvered so that he was on top of her. He looked down at her stomach. It was still flat, but soon it would have the tell tale signs of their pregnancy. Haley was always beautiful to Nathan, but she was so beautiful when she was pregnant. He also loved knowing that he contributed to getting her into that condition.

"Sam will be fine. He's going to be a great big brother to his new sister or brother and he knows how much you and I love him. He's a strong boy. He gets it from his strong mom. You are the strongest, bravest, sexiest, and most beautiful woman in the world. I love you even more every day. I love you now more than I ever thought I could and when we're eighty, I'm gonna love you even more. Always and forever."

That was everything that Haley needed to hear after the day they'd had. He had that effect on her. He knew what to say to soothe her and to let her believe that everything was going to be all right. "I love you. Always and forever."

They kissed. They kissed and they knew that everything was going to be fine. Always and forever.

* * *

**Note:** Phew. It's done. As a word document, it's about 680 pages and over 270,000 words. I can't believe I wrote so much.

A lot of your comments have been asking if there will be a sequel. No. I just don't think it needs one. I would be carrying it on simply for the sake of carrying it on and I don't want to do that. I think the story is done, it's been told, and it needs to stay as it is. I love your enthusiasm for it, though.

For those of you who read the entire story, thank you. I know from the prologue that this could be a touchy subject. Some of you could have easily given up after that since Haley was raped. It's a tricky subject to write. I just hope I handled it with the appropriate amount of respect. For all of your reviews, thank you. You've all been so, so kind. Some of you made sure to review every single chapter and I'm so grateful for that. So, thank you for giving your time to this story.

The next story will be called _And We Lean In_. I'm going to take a few weeks off from writing, though. I need some time to focus on some other stuff and I want to make sure that story is good and ready to go before I post it.


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